Aurelien Tchouameni was a much sought-after transfer target for Liverpool in the summer. And he has explained why he chose Real Madrid instead of them.
Due to a lack of quality midfielders this season, the club has come under understandable criticism for failing to sign a player.
However, Liverpool did not fail to try.
The recruitment team decided that Tchouameni was the ideal candidate because he had decided to leave Monaco.
Reports in both England and France confirmed the Reds’ interest. But ultimately, the player chose to sign with Real Madrid in a deal estimated to be worth about £85 million.
Tchouameni, who replaced Casemiro at the Bernabeu, has been in superb form thus far this season. And it just makes it more regrettable that he didn’t choose a move to Merseyside.
Tchouameni on deciding Real Madrid over Liverpool
This week, the midfielder admitted to Le Parisien that Liverpool was his “initial” offer. But that “everything was apparent” once Real became a possibility.
“The first to come forward was Liverpool. We had discussions. Then Real arrived. And in my head, everything was clear. It was Real and not another.
It’s the biggest club in the world. If you want to accomplish great things, to mark the history of your sport, there is no better. So I didn’t hesitate for a second.
I told my agent: as long as there is interest, we do everything to go there. I was already convinced.
When Paris showed up, my choice was already made, even if I was happy to be approached by PSG.”
It is intriguing to hear Tchouameni speak about talks with the club. Even though they are now irrelevant because he is a Real player, and Liverpool has moved on.
It demonstrates their ambition to sign a midfielder in the summer and their determination to only negotiate with the proper players.
It is debatable whether a “Tchouameni or nothing” strategy was practical. But a lot will depend on their chances of acquiring Jude Bellingham in 2023.
Tchouameni’s remarks that Real is “the biggest club in the world” regrettably show the challenges that Liverpool and their rivals still face in persuading some players to choose them over the Spanish elite.
