Chelsea reportedly rejected the chance to sign Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni 12 months ago.
After two years with Monaco, the 22-year-old signed a six-year contract with Los Blancos this summer, going to the Santiago Bernabeu for roughly £85 million.
Real Madrid beat off competition from a number of Premier League teams to sign the France international, though it is believed that Chelsea were not in the running for his signature this summer after expressing interest a year ago.
The West Londoners were eager to bolster their midfield options after winning the Champions League at the end of the 2020-21 season under Thomas Tuchel.
Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour were both loaned out, but West Ham United decided not to sell primary target Declan Rice.
Chelsea Turned Down Chance To Sign Aurelien Tchouameni?
According to football.london, Chelsea regarded Tchouameni as a potential target and spent years working behind the scenes to develop a relationship with the midfielder and his entourage.
As per the report, the Blues were one of the frontrunners to sign the Frenchman, and the idea of representing the European champions would have piqued the youngster’s interest.
According to The Telegraph, senior figures at Chelsea, including former sports director Marina Granovskaia, were not sure that Tchouameni was ready to take the next step in his career and were hesitant to spend huge money on the midfielder.
Chelsea eventually passed on the opportunity to sign Tchouameni in favour of signing Saul Niguez on loan from Atletico Madrid on deadline day.
Niguez, on the other hand, struggled in West London and had a forgettable loan stay, starting only 11 of his 23 matches across all competitions.
Tchouameni thrived in his final year at Monaco before joining Real Madrid in July, while the Spain international has since returned to his parent club Atletico Madrid.
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Tchouameni has established himself as a first-team regular under Carlo Ancelotti this season, appearing in eight games in all competitions since Casemiro’s move to Manchester United.
Ancelotti lauded the Frenchman’s performances in the first team earlier this month, but the Italian is “not surprised” to see him fit in so swiftly.
“We’re not surprised by Tchouameni. He’s a spectacular player. It was difficult at first, but you can tell he feels very good,” Ancelotti told reporters.
“In training, you can see that. He plays well in defence and in attack. I’m happy with him and I hope he continues to improve.”
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