Chelsea working on signing 21-year-old French midfielder, Manchester United monitoring situation - Fabrizio Romano Exclusive

Remember his name, because he will certainly be the protagonist of the transfer market in the coming months. Aurélien Tchouameni - a modern midfielder with quality, technique and physicality - has been on the list of the best clubs in the world for some time. He is demonstrating class, talent, maturity and confidence with Monaco, who believed in him by buying him from Bordeaux when many international clubs were ready to join the race.

The Ligue 1 giants now enjoy a pure talent like Tchouameni. Born in 2000, the midfielder, who is set to turn 22 in January, could have moved on last summer, but a deal did not materialize. The reason? Monaco's high asking price, which has now increased further due to Tchouameni's performances for club and country, with the youngster quickly becoming one of the most appreciated players in the world in his position.

Tchouameni has long been on Chelsea's transfer list, with the Blues looking for a young, physically gifted midfielder to bolster Thomas Tuchel's squad. Monaco had asked for more than €40 million in the summer and there was no real negotiation between the two clubs as Chelsea's priority was to sign a striker at the time. The deal to re-sign Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan lasted more than a month and required all the attention of Chelsea.

Later, the need for a central defender prompted Chelsea to make a move for Jules Koundé, who was one step away from joining the club. But Tchouameni has always remained on the list, with Chelsea considering him the perfect player for that position in the future. Meanwhile, Saul Niguez arrived on loan from Atletico Madrid because the cost of the Lukaku deal made it impossible for Chelsea to conclude the signing of Tchouameni. However, Chelsea have been watching Aurélien for months and the situation is set to be monitored closely, with Roman Abramovich's club always attentive to the best talents in the world.

In the summer there was also talk of Manchester United making a move for the 21-year-old. In reality, Tchouameni was never a concrete target for the Red Devils because a player in that position would have only arrived if Donny van de Beek or Paul Pogba had left. The real priority for Manchester United was to complete the signings of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane, with the pair deemed necessary additions by the board and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Cristiano Ronaldo's signing at the end of August completed the summer transfer window for Manchester United. For next summer, though, their intention is to invest in a defensive midfielder. Declan Rice is liked by many clubs and has a high price, while Tchouameni is to be monitored, unlike in the summer of 2021 when there was no negotiation between Manchester United and Monaco. With Saul Niguez and Eduardo Camavinga now out of the picture for Manchester United, keep an eye on their interest in Tchouameni.

Chelsea and Manchester United keeping tabs on Tchouameni along with other European giants

Tchouameni is still on Chelsea's radar as a midfield option

In reality, surprisingly, the team that came closest to buying Tchouameni in the summer was Juventus. The Italian club first initiated contact with Monaco when the Manuel Locatelli affair with Sassuolo seemed in danger and once again tried to snap him up in the last few days of the summer transfer window, albeit under incredible conditions.

An initial loan deal with an obligation to buy clause was suggested by the Bianconeri, with club officials flying to France to negotiate with Monaco. The Ligue 1 outfit swiftly rejected the offer and Tchouameni stayed at the club, but Juventus are in love with him and consider him a top midfield target, with Massimiliano Allegri a huge fan of him.

Now, the real problem is the cost of the player. He enters an incredible race with Monaco, who will not even start negotiations for a sum of less than €50 million. Just a month ago, Spanish newspaper Marca confirmed that Real Madrid are interested in Tchouameni if they decide to buy a midfielder in the summer of 2022. In reality, after the signing of Camavinga, Real Madrid have other priorities but Tchouameni is followed by many top clubs. Chelsea, Manchester United and Juventus' interest has been mentioned, while Paris Saint-Germain will want to buy a new midfielder in the summer of 2022. That said, the Parisians are yet to begin negotiations with the 21-year-old.

It will certainly be the year of Aurélien Tchouameni, as many clubs are in the race for the hugely talented midfielder.

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