Real Madrid make Tchouameni exit decision

Stuart Telford

• 25 Jun 2023 18:52 BST
• 3 min read

Real Madrid have no intention of selling Aurelien Tchouameni to Liverpool or anyone else this summer according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano.

Speculation about Tchouameni's future at the Santiago Bernabeu has been mounting in recent weeks with the pending arrival of Jude Bellingham, for whom Real have agreed to pay Borussia Dortmund an initial €103 million.

Bellingham and Tchoumani play similar positions, and with Real also offering contract extensions to Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Dani Ceballos, competition for a place in midfield could hardly be fiercer.

READ: Liverpool lowball Real Madrid for Bellingham alternative

Liverpool have a long-held interest in Tchouameni, and having missed out on Bellingham, have been linked with a move for the Frenchman, with reports coming out of Spain suggesting that Real would part ways with the player if their €80m asking price was met.

Tchouameni 'crucial' for Real Madrid's project

But Romano has shot down any such idea.

"Rumours around Tchouameni? No," he told his YouTube channel. "For the moment the intention is for Tchouameni to stay at Real Madrid. They want him to stay. He is a crucial player for their project and the future of the club, so nothing has changed around Tchouameni."

READ: REVEALED: Real Madrid's Galactico shortlist

Although Real are well-stocked in midfield, Modric and Kroos are 37 and 22 respectively and the suspicion remains that the 2023/24 campaign could be their last at the club.

Madrid typically line-up in a 4-3-3 - under Carlo Ancelotti at least - and a left to right in Eduardo Camavinga, Tchouameni and Bellingham could be a world class midfield for a generation.

Real paid Monaco an initial €80m for Tchouameni's services last summer, although add-ons could take the deal above €100m.

His two interceptions per game and 93 per cent pass completion were both La Liga bests last season, despite his campaign being disrupted by muscular injuries midway through the season.