The future of Aurelien Tchouameni is set to be one of the sagas of the summer transfer window, with a number of top clubs chasing the midfielder.
Tchouameni has starred for Monaco this season, making 47 appearances in all competitions. He has also captained the Monégasques on occasion, helping them to recover from a poor start to put themselves in pole position to seal a top four spot in Ligue 1.
Though he has two years left to run on his current contract, it is widely expected that he will move on from the Stade Louis II in the summer window. Here, Mirror Football looks at the current state of play with Tchouameni one of the most in demand youngsters in Europe.
Price tag
With two years left to run on his contract, Monaco can virtually name their price for the 22-year-old. According to AS, that price is expected to be as much as £58.9million, if he is to move to the Premier League.
That is a fee that will be too much to pay for Real Madrid, who have their eyes and bank account firmly set on Kylian Mbappe. Los Blancos had hoped to bring in Tchouameni to continue the evolution of their midfield towards younger stars.
Similarly, his hefty price tag is also expected to prove to be too much for Juventus, who are unlikely to spend such a high amount on a signing this summer. Chelsea's ongoing ownership saga could make a deal difficult to facilitate from the Blues.
Manchester United and Liverpool chances
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With Madrid, Juve and Chelsea all struggling to stump up the cash required to sign him, the way appears to be paved for Manchester United and Liverpool. United are desperate to overhaul their midfield options, with Tchouameni one of their top targets.
But the Red Devils' failure to qualify for the Champions League next season will put them at a clear disadvantage compared to their rivals. One of those rivals could be Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp also ready to upgrade on his options in central midfield.
Midfield appears to be the next area in need of a refresh, with Klopp in need of younger options. According to Le Parisien, United and Liverpool will face a strong challenge from PSG for the 22-year-old.
Player's preference
While PSG are interested, Le Parisien claim that Tchouameni himself 'favours' the idea of playing abroad. Though he has praised the Ligue 1 champions, the midfielder has also indicated he is in no rush to leave Monaco.
“It’s (PSG) a top-level club, with great players and big investments and many titles. I think PSG is a great team. You don’t necessarily have to play for Real Madrid or Manchester City to play for the national team," he said.
"We see players here who also play for very good clubs like Wissam (Ben Yedder) and myself at our club . Monaco is not an obstacle for me to continue playing with the senior team. I'm very good with Monaco. I worked for a long time to get to where I am today. Honestly, I'm not focusing on what's next. I'm still working and progressing and we'll see later."
