Krishnan Sreekumar
Liverpool leading the transfer race to sign Manchester United target and AS Monaco star Aurelien Tchouameni
According to football journalist Julien Maynard on Twitter (h/t The Sun), Liverpool are leading the race to secure the services of AS Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, providing a transfer blow to Manchester United.
The Frenchman has been in stellar form for Monaco this season, picking up where he left off the previous campaign. He has turned into a midfield lynchpin for the Ligue 1 side, driving the team forward from the middle of the park.
Having joined his current club as a raw youngster from Bordeaux in 2020, he has grown in leaps and bounds over the years and established himself as a key member of Phillipe Clement’s side. He was last seen scoring a brace against last year’s league champions Lille, in a 2-1 away win for Monaco.
His performances in Ligue 1 have seen him be called up to the France national team as well, ahead of a crucial World Cup year for the player. If he continues this form at club level, he could very well join the rest of the Les Blues squad on the plane to Qatar later this year.
Not expected to remain in Ligue 1
He has picked up interest from a host of European sides ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, where Liverpool are said to be leading the queue for the midfielder. Maynard has said that Real Madrid are trailing the Reds in the race to secure his signature, alongside PSG.
However, Tchouameni is not expected to remain in France and is tipped for a move abroad. The 22-year-old’s representatives have not yet made up their minds about his next destination, but the Premier League could welcome him as United and Arsenal are also interested in snapping him up.
The Red Devils are in need of midfield reinforcements, given that Paul Pogba is set to depart the club as a free agent in the summer when his contract expires. To make things worse, Nemanja Matic is also another player exiting the side, after announcing his intention of leaving at the end of the season.
This leaves the Manchester side with Fred and Scott McTominay as the only remaining central midfielders in the squad, although Donny van de Beek will return to the club in the summer. Only time will tell, however, if the Dutchman will continue his career at Old Trafford after barely getting a chance to impress during his United career thus far.
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Liverpool’s position in the transfer race for Tchouameni will be a worry for United, as they may look to improve an already strong midfield side boasting the likes of Thiago, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, and Naby Keita. In comparison, the Old Trafford outfit is stretched thin in the middle of the park.
United will need to step up their efforts to snap up the Frenchman and prevent him from joining a direct rival. Given that the Manchester side do not have Champions League football to offer the player in the coming season, it may prove to be harder than it seems.
