Chelsea's pursuit of Aurélien Tchouaméni can be likened to somebody going to watch a midnight release film.
They get to the cinema earlier than anyone else, panic and wonder whether the film must be any good just because no one else is queuing as early as they are.
They then go home and plan on going back to the cinema later to see if it gets any busier. Before you know it, everyone is queuing up for a ticket and the early bird's chances of seeing a film they wanted to see before anybody else have been slashed.
While our cinema analogy might be a bit of a stretch, Thomas Tuchel's side seemingly led the race for the AS Monaco midfielder in the summer with little competition.
But, the France international could now be well out of the Blues' reach come to the end of this month following Real Madrid's latest transfer decision.
According to ESPN, Los Blancos have registered their interest in Tchouaméni, handing Chelsea a significant blow in their pursuit.
The 22-year-old has emerged as one of Europe's most sought-after midfield prospects following dazzling displays for club and country this season, earning himself a £50 million price tag, as per Spanish newspaper Marca.
Chelsea started the ball rolling in the summer, adding Tchouaméni to their shortlist alongside Declan Rice, according to The Athletic.
A deal didn't come to fruition because the west Londoners felt as if the youngster could've done with another 12 months of development to bolster his experience before committing to a long-term deal.
Instead of moving for the midfielder, Chelsea decided to sign Atletico Madrid's Saul Niguez on a one-season loan deal with an option to buy.
After a few months, Juventus then joined the race, and the Blues decided to 'accelerate' their pursuit of Tchouaméni, according to the Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb in early December.
Now, Chelsea finds themselves locking horns with Europe's elite in a bid to secure his services and potentially hand Tuchel his perfect N'Golo Kante partner.
Tchouaméni complements the Chelsea midfielder's profile and skill set, combining to create a balanced pivot for years to come at Stamford Bridge.
If the Blues were to secure the Frenchman's services, Granovskaia would be avenging Chelsea's heartbreaking failed transfer mission for Kaka.
As per the Daily Star, Roman Abramovich had the chance to break the world transfer record in 2008 when a £79 million deal for Kaka was agreed with AC Milan.
The Brazilian, who had won the Ballon d'Or just six months prior, saw the deal collapse when Carlo Ancelotti decided he wanted to keep the 26-year-old for another season.
Chelsea went to sign Deco instead, and Kaka was soon picked up by Real Madrid for a world record fee the following year.
Roman, it's time for some transfer revenge.
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