Liverpool and Manchester United transfer target Aurelian Tchouameni has revealed he is open to the idea of remaining in AS Monaco for another season and playing in the Champions League with the French outfit.
Tchouameni is wanted by a number of European football's biggest clubs but the interest from the two Premier League titans appears to be the most concrete. Fellow English side Arsenal are also rumoured to have thrown their hat in the ring for the midfielder.
However, if the 22-year-old's recent comments are anything to go by all three of them could be forced to shift their interest elsewhere as Tchouameni seems to be content with the idea of remaining in Ligue 1 for at least one more campaign.
Speaking to the media this week, the France international claimed: "I am contracted here until 2024 with the option until 2025. We’ll see what the future has in store for me. The transfer window is always a period where lots of things can happen. There is my personal case, but there are cases for lots of other players who are out of contract or who perhaps have desires elsewhere."
Unlike in the Premier League where the top four teams qualify for the Champions League, the French top-flight only enters three sides into European club football's most elite competition due to UEFA's coefficient.
In turn, Monaco - who sit fourth on goal different, are currently just outside of the Champions League qualification places but could still leapfrog Rennes with just three games to go. If they do, Tchouameni has claimed that the heartache of last season's failure could inspire him to stay at the Stade Louis II.
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Asked if he would stay if Champions League football is on offer at Monaco, the young star said: "Yeah, why not? The elimination last year stuck in my throat. Playing Champions League football with Monaco isn’t something that would displease me."
That places added pressure on the French outfit to go above Rennes into third before the season's end, as it could prove an incredibly difficult task trying to persuade Tchouameni to stay when a number of Europe's elite are trying to sign the midfielder.
Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are also monitoring the situation as both sides hope to hijack any switch that would see Tchouameni end up plying his trade in the Premier League. Any club hoping to pray him away from the French Riviera in the summer is expected to have to pay at least £60million.
