CHELSEA have been given a boost in their quest to sign Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni after Juventus reportedly pulled out of the race.
The 21-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away from the principality in 2022 following an impressive start to the season.
Valued at £42million by the Ligue 1 outfit, Tchouameni has chipped in with two goals in 22 games for Niko Kovac’s men.
His fine form saw him called up to the France senior side in August, with the player since being capped on seven occasions.
Thomas Tuchel is understood to be a huge admirer of the ex-Bordeuax man, as he looks to lure him to Stamford Bridge next summer.
Tchouameni, who is tied down at Monaco until 2024, has also been claimed to be on the radar of Juventus and Real Madrid.
But according to Calciomercato, the Old Lady have decided against securing his services to give the Blues an easier run at landing him.
They state that the Serie A side have deemed him as too expensive, with the club only open to signing him on loan, while Monaco will only allow him to move on a permanent deal.
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As a result, Juve will now look to bring in other targets – notably Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic.
Speaking to L’Equipe recently, Tchouameni declared that he isn’t paying attention to rumours over his future.
He said: “My father called me, we talked about everything and he told me that I was on the front page of Marca. I went on Twitter and saw for myself.
“I told him it was cool, but what does it actually matter? It doesn’t. The front page of Marca will not define me or allow me to perform well in matches.
“It’s not real life, but it is the media world, the football business. They talk about me today but tomorrow, they’ll be talking about another.
“In the dressing room, they put the cover up and laughed’ ‘Oh, you’re leaving us already?’.
“It’s flattering, but I don’t wake up in the morning thinking about it.
“When I started in Bordeaux, the media were already wondering every summer if Aurelien Tchouameni was going to move to a bigger club.
“In 2018, they were already talking about Juventus or Milan.
“I know for a fact that what is true in October is not necessarily what’s true in June. If I start to think that I’m going to leave, it will show directly in my performances on the pitch.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
