Chelsea rise above transfer rivals for prized Tuchel target with massive bid, contract offer
Chelsea have moved ahead of Juventus in the transfer hunt for Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, according to a report.
The Blues have a wealth of midfielders at their disposal. Not only are senior figures such as N’Golo Kante and Jorginho still starring, but Saul Niguez joined on loan from Atletico Madrid in the summer.
Chelsea also ended up keeping last season’s loan players Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek around. Despite their links with moves away, they have not disappointed boss Thomas Tuchel.
However, Kante and Jorginho are 30 and 29, respectively. Their contracts – like their ages – are also a concern on the horizon, as it remains unclear if they will both renew terms.
As a result, Tuchel is looking for younger talents who would represent the long-term future for Chelsea.
Monaco’s France international Tchouameni has had strong links with a move to Stamford Bridge already. Indeed, TEAMtalk exclusively reported earlier this month that they are considering a plan beat their rivals to him.
The Blues want to arrange a deal in January that would see Tchouameni move to west London next summer.
But according to Tuttosport, Chelsea have now gone one step further by making a bid for the 21-year-old.
The offer supposedly amounts to €60million (£50million). Furthermore, Chelsea have reportedly proposed a suitable contract offer for the player.
But while Chelsea have leaped ahead of Juventus in the race for his signature, Newcastle, Liverpool and Tottenham remain rivals.
Tchouameni moved to Monaco from Bordeaux in January 2020 and has made 66 appearances in defensive, central and attacking midfield roles.
His impressive form led to his France debut in September and he has made six further outings. However, his most memorable to date was his starring role in the Nations League final triumph against Spain in October.
Tuchel hails Chelsea improvement
Tchoumeni’s Monaco are in the Europa League this season, but for Chelsea, they are already through to the Champions League knockout stages.
They took control of top spot in Group H on Tuesday with a thumping 4-0 win over Juventus. The result was an improvement on their 1-0 defeat to Juve in Turin, which Tuchel was happy to recognise.
The manager said: “We wanted to stay patient but at the same time not fall asleep. We wanted to increase the rhythm and intensity. It’s so tough to create and score but we created so much. An amazing performance and a fantastic result.
Why Man Utd are in for a whirlwind first few months if they appoint Mauricio Pochettino now
“We were sharper than in Turin, we took more risks, something we lacked in Turin.
“By control you cannot hurt them – you need to penetrate with runs off the ball. We were very good and scored nice goals.”
The Blues return to action on Sunday when facing Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.
The post Chelsea rise above transfer rivals for prized Tuchel target with massive bid, contract offer appeared first on TEAMtalk.