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Chelsea and Liverpool have been warned off major midfield target Aurelien Tchouameni by the sporting director of Monaco – who made one comparison that would intrigue Reds fans in particular.

Tchouameni is emerging as one of the standout midfielders in Ligue 1. Last season he really made his name with Monaco across 42 appearances in all competitions.

He earned a senior debut for the France national team earlier this year and so far has seven caps. Not yet 22 until next month, he seems set to shine for club and country for years to come.

Which club will get to benefit from his talents in the long term remains to be seen. He left Bordeaux for Monaco in January 2020 and his current employers may be able to make a significant profit on him if they sell.

Among the clubs keen to test their resolve are Chelsea and Liverpool. The Blues have been linked with particular frequency as they look to evolve their midfield.

They have not got the best out of Saul Niguez during his loan spell from Atletico Madrid. Therefore, they are already looking at alternative options for the long-term. Tchouameni would be about as good as they come.

Juventus are also a rival for Tchouameni’s signature as they face even more concerns in midfield. Links with the Serie A side have cooled recently, but Italian sources are still covering their interest.

In fact, one newspaper has now spoken to Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell – who compared Tchouameni to a Liverpool legend before sending a warning about his price tag.

“He is a complete midfielder, very fast and physically strong, he reminds me of Steven Gerrard,” Mitchell told Tuttosport.

“He is already a top player despite being only 22. But if we want to become a top club, then we should not sell him. We are an ambitious club. Everyone, from president Rybolovlev to coach Niko Kovac is ambitious here.

“However, we’ll assess the situation at the end of the season. The player is under contract until 2024 and his transfer value is the one of a top player.

“Everything is expensive in Monte Carlo, let’s say that Tchouameni is as expensive as the Grand Casino.”

Chelsea risk losing another midfielder

Chelsea’s need to target Tchouameni would increase if it was not only Saul who left Stamford Bridge next year.

A recent report revealed Roma have stepped up transfer interest in Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Il Romanista has claimed that Roma are hoping Tammy Abraham can convince his ex-colleague to make the same move he did.

The report notes that the pair have an ‘in-depth’ relationship following their rise through Chelsea’s academy. They could potentially form an exciting spine in Jose Mourinho’s team.

However, the future of Loftus-Cheek has taken another twist in recent months.

He looked to have little prospect of a future at Stamford Bridge following a loan spell at Fulham last season.

Nevertheless, he stayed on and has gone on to feature in 11 of 16 Premier League games this term. What’s more, he has played 90 minutes in each of the past four games.

Loftus-Cheek’s contract expires in 2024. His recent revival makes it unclear what Chelsea plan to do with him. As such, a deal for Roma could yet prove difficult.

But if Tchouameni finds his way to west London, there could be more twists and turns.

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