With five defenders spread across the width of the Atletico Madrid penalty area, the pass forward had to be inch-perfect if Rodrygo was to have any hope of firing Real Madrid into the lead. Yet there was no hesitation from the Brazilian, no concern that the ball wouldn't be delivered into his path.
He trusted Aurelien Tchouameni, backed the Frenchman to deliver when required. It was the right call. With space to work in, Tchouameni delicately lifted a pass over the despairing stretch of Felipe and all that was left was for Rodrygo to finish, something the Real Madrid forward did emphatically.
The goal set Los Blancos on their way to a 2-1 victory over their city rivals and maintained the winning start to the campaign for Carlo Ancelotti's side. Tchouameni has played a key role in that, having started five of Real's six La Liga matches and replacing Casemiro – now at Manchester United – at the base of midfield.
READ MORE Todd Boehly aims for Erling Haaland transfer repeat as Chelsea reach agreement with key target
"We're not surprised by Tchouameni," Ancelotti stated last month. "He's a spectacular player. It was difficult at first, but you can tell he feels very good. In training, you can see that. He plays well in defence and in attack. I'm happy with him and I hope he continues to improve."
It was in June that Real Madrid completed the signing of Tchouameni from Monaco. If every add-on is met during the France international's time in the Bernabeu, the midfielder will cost the Spanish giants an eye-watering £87million. And yet the outlay already appears justified.
It could have been all so different, however. In the summer of 2021, Chelsea were front and centre in the race to sign Tchouameni. Years of work had been put in to develop a relationship with the midfielder and his representatives and the Blues had the added cache of being European champions.
Thomas Tuchel wanted another midfielder too, with loans for Billy Gilmour and Conor Gallagher sanctioned. And with West Ham United demanding huge money for Declan Rice, an approach for Tchouameni, then valued at around £60million, appeared far more feasible.
But Chelsea never formally submitted an offer to Monaco for Tchouameni; The Telegraph reported that was because senior figures at Stamford Bridge weren't convinced the Frenchman could make an instant impact within Tuchel's side. So they focused on another target as that summer's transfer window reached its conclusion: Saul Niguez.
Once regarded as one of the standout midfield players in Europe, the Spaniard's stock had significantly fallen after two disappointing campaigns at Atletico Madrid. That the La Liga side were prepared to let Saul, one of their highest earners, leave on loan for the 2021/22 campaign was telling. Granovskaia still signed off on the gamble.
Saul arrived on a season-long loan, at the end of which Chelsea had the option to sign the 27-year-old permanently for £30million. That never came close to being triggered as Saul struggled to adapt to English football. His debut against Aston Villa ended after 45 minutes. He suffered the same fate on his second Premier League start away at Watford.
There were a couple of positive outings from the substitutes' bench around the festive period but it became clear as the campaign progressed that Saul was not the midfield answer Chelsea required. All the while, Tchouameni was impressing and improving at Monaco.
It was on June 7 that Saul posted a heartfelt farewell message to Chelsea supporters. Four days later, Real Madrid confirmed an agreement was in place to bring Tchouameni to the Bernabeu. The Blues' chance to secure one of the brightest midfield talents in the European game was gone – and the impact is being felt by the club's new ownership.
This summer – having purchased the club from Roman Abramovich at the end of May – co-owners Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and Jose Feliciano oversaw a lavish summer of spending. More than £270million was invested in the first-team squad yet central midfield remains a problem area.
In less than 12 months' time, the contracts of N'Golo Kante and Jorginho expire. Extensions are not close to being agreed upon with either player and the reality is that come to the end of the current campaign, the two midfielders who started the 2021 Champions League final victory over Man City depart on free transfers.
football.london understands early discussions have already been held by the ownership group over potential midfield targets for next summer. A succession plan is required – no matter what happens next with Jorginho and Kante. If only a key component was already in place.
Tchouameni could – and arguably should – have been the heir to Kante at Stamford Bridge. An excellent ball-winner but also an inventive presence in the final third, he possessed the skill set to replace a man viewed as almost irreplaceable at Chelsea. He is that good.
Instead, Tchouameni is patrolling the Real Madrid midfield. And Boehly is left to count the cost of a transfer gamble that has left Chelsea with a problem still to be solved.
READ NEXT:
- Graham Potter makes Romelu Lukaku return decision as contact made amid Inter Milan transfer plan
- Barcelona make swoop for another Chelsea star in search for Sergio Busquets replacement
- Graham Potter finds perfect answer to N'Golo Kante contract saga with £20m Chelsea transfer
- Chelsea scouts impressed by Bayer Leverkusen star after checking on Callum Hudson-Odoi progress
- Marina Granovskaia would have 'blocked Chelsea summer transfer' as Graham Potter decision made
