Real Madrid news: How Tchouameni became Ligue 1’s next big star

Set for Real Madrid move? 

Ligue 1 may not be the biggest or most entertaining league in European football but it can certainly lay claim to some of the most exciting stars in the game. Whether it be Lionel Messi, Neymar or Kylian Mbappé, Paris Saint-Germain and their bottomless pit of money have made sure that French football remains at the top table of divisions across the continent. However, it isn’t just within the Parisian city limits that stars reside in the French top flight. 

Move over Neymar, Messi and Mbappe

There’s a new Ligue 1 star in town and his name is… Aurélien Tchouameni pic.twitter.com/zNKdNsAYav

— Transfermarkt.co.uk (@TMuk_news) May 31, 2022

Away from PSG, Ligue 1 is a hotbed of exciting young talent and one such player that has caught the attention of numerous clubs across Europe is none other than Monaco midfielder Aurélien Tchouameni. Since making the move to Monaco in 2020, the box-to-box talent has gone from strength to strength and as our most recent market value update of Ligue 1 points out, the 22-year-old’s own value has more than trebled and now has the player sitting tall on a value of €60 million. 

Indeed, whether Tchouameni is pulling up trees for Monaco or dazzling on the international stage for the France national team, the young midfielder has certainly attracted interest from bigger clubs. According to the player’s rumour mill page, he has been linked with moves to Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool since the turn of the year. And according to French outlet RMC Sport, Real Madrid have agreed an €80m fee for the Monaco star and are set to sign him this summer. 

‘It took some time to shine the spotlight on him’ – How Tchouameni became a Ligue 1 star

Unlike star strikers, playmaking wingers or even dominant central defenders, Tchouameni’s role as a defensive midfielder has meant that his talents have flown somewhat under the radar in France. Fortunately, Transfermarkt has an excellent French football expert on hand to explain what makes the young Monaco star so special and why Europe’s biggest clubs want to sign him. “Now two and a half seasons in, Tchouameni has really progressed in a linear way, even if he was already labelled as a rising talent when Monaco bought him from Bordeaux for €18 million (valued at €14m at the time),” said Ronan Caroff, Area Manager for Transfermarkt France. 

“Right away, he was a key piece of Monaco’s game plan, no matter the coach (Moreno, Kovac or Clement), as he only missed games for Monaco due to suspensions or really small injuries. Defensive midfielder isn’t the most attractive position, with not a lot of individual stats, so it took a bit longer to shine a spotlight on him. For example he had to wait for the start of this season to get his first call up to the France national team. Having his first European games with Monaco this season surely helped him to gain more high-level experience, which leads to the high transfer fees mentioned in transfer rumours lately, and the big rise in his market value in the recent Transfermarkt update.”

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