Manchester United are reportedly ready to rival Chelsea and Juventus in the race to sign AS Monaco and France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni in 2022.
According to a report from Transfer Market Web, Manchester United are preparing to go to battle with Premier League rivals Chelsea and Italian giants Juventus for the transfer of AS Monaco’s rising star Aurelien Tchouameni in the summer of 2022.
Tchouameni is a product of the Bordeaux youth academy. Having burst onto the first-team scenes with the Ligue 1 outfit a couple of years ago, the youngster’s progression led to a move to AS Monaco in the winter transfer window of last year. Since then, the 21-year-old has made rapid strides, quickly becoming one of the most consistent young midfielders in France.
On the back of his performances, Tchouameni was named the Ligue 1 Best Young Player of the Year for the 2020/21 season while he also managed to break into the French national team recently. His progress has managed to grab the attention of several top clubs across Europe, with Chelsea, Juventus and now, Manchester United all pushing for his signing.
Chelsea’s midfield department is as good as it gets with N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic vying for the starting berths while Saul Niguez has also joined on loan to add more quality and depth. Then there is young Billy Gilmour, who will also push for a place upon returning from his loan spell.
However, both Kante and Jorginho will be entering the final year of their respective contracts next year, and with the former battling through some injury problems, it would be advisable for Thomas Tuchel & co. to put a succession plan in place, making Tchouameni a viable transfer target for Chelsea.
As for Juventus, a midfield revamp seems to be on the cards next summer as the likes of Weston McKennie, Arthur Melo and Aaron Ramsey have all failed to fulfil the expectations placed on them and could be offloaded one by one either in January or at the end of the season, which will open up room in the middle of the park for a new addition.
And, Tchouameni seems to be high on the wishlist of the Turin giants, who are looking to build a team capable of reclaiming the throne in Italian football under Massimiliano Allegri. Now, both Chelsea and Juventus will have additional competition in the form of Manchester United in pursuit of the 21-year-old.
Manchester United have a stockpile of midfielders on their books currently. But, it has become apparent that Fred does not meet the level of quality that is needed for a team hoping to challenge for silverware across multiple fronts while Nemanja Matic is not getting any younger either.
Someone like Tchouameni could, thus, be a vital signing as his presence would take the shackles off of the creative midfielders like Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba, provided he stays, allowing them to express themselves more freely. Indeed, the partnership of Pogba and Tchouameni showed a lot of encouraging signs with the French national team earlier this month.
With a three-way battle seemingly set up for the 21-year-old, it now remains to be seen as to where Tchouameni ends up come next season.
