In the closing days of last summer's transfer window, a reason cited for Chelsea backing out of signing Monaco's highly-rated midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni was due to him needing more experience instead opting for a deadline day loan for Saul Niguez from Atletico Madrid.
Tchouameni, 21 at the time, still was believed to need another season in Ligue 1 to gain more experience before the Blues would come back for his signature in 2022. But as French outlet RMC Sport broke on Tuesday afternoon, Real Madrid have agreed a five-year-deal with Los Blancos for a fee around £68m.
Chelsea had Tchouameni in their sights for some time, even holding meetings with his representatives last summer and being a widely known target since March of 2021. Allowing Tchouameni to remain at Monaco led to him becoming a French international alongside Paul Pogba, gaining more admirers and potential suitors as the proposed fee inflated.
