Chelsea initiate contact for Frenchman Thomas Tuchel wants 'at all costs' - Reports
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has reportedly initiated contact with AS Monaco for highly sought after midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni.
The Frenchman is one of Europe's top emerging talents. He has a host of clubs tracking him, including Chelsea, who are keen to bring in a midfielder this summer.
Tuchel is a huge admirer of Tchouameni and according to Sport Witness he has tasked the Blues board to bring him in 'at all costs.'
Tchouaméni joined AS Monaco in 2018 from fellow Ligue 1 side Bordeaux for £16.2 million. He has six goals and six assists in 81 appearances for The Monégasques.
#Chelsea have already made contact with AS Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni. Thomas Tuchel wants him 'at all costs' and the player would prefer a move to England.
[@sport via @Sport_Witness]
His performances have been highly praised and Chelsea are not alone in their pursuit of the player. Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United also hold an interest, with all three clubs eyeing midfield reinforcements.
Chelsea do have an alternative in the form of West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, who has history with the club. Rice, 22, spent his youth career with the Blues before being released in 2013. The Englishman then joined West Ham and has not looked back since. He is currently the club captain and has asserted himself as England's top midfielder.
However, the Hammers are keen to hold on to their star man and have reportedly slapped a £100 million price tag on the highly regarded midfielder.
This may see Chelsea opt for the less expensive Tchouaméni. But should a bidding war with other interested clubs ensue, the France international's price may increase with £60 million being the touted fee.
Would Tchouaméni fit Chelsea's midfield?
Tchouaméni's adaptability to play as either a holding midfielder or a box-to-box midfielder could be hugely beneficial to Tuchel's side.
At Stamford Bridge, they currently possess the likes of N'Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic in that role.
Kante is a ball-winning midfielder who is relentless in his pursuit of the ball.
Jorginho is known to sit and play balls through midfield in transition whilst Kovacic is a possession-based midfielder who can play box-to-box.
🤯 Aurelien Tchouameni is now the most in-form player in Europe's top 5 leagues. He is 22 https://t.co/YUs1GQVu79
But it is Tchouaméni's imposing stature alongside his agility that will have impressed Tuchel with the 22-year-old showing maturity beyond his years.
His inspired performances have seen him named in Didier Deschamps' France national squad and he has seven international caps to his name.
Breaking The Lines compare Tchouaméni to Leicester City's Wilfried Ndidi in the way in which he drives forward with the ball.
Tchouaméni would be a shrewd piece of business for Tuchel and could help assert the west London side's dominance both domestically and in Europe.