CHELSEA have received a boost in their pursuit of £50million-rated Aurelien Tchouameni as Manchester United reportedly pulled out of the race.
The Monaco star is the centre of plenty of transfer interest from some of Europe’s top clubs.
But according to Football London, the Red Devils have given up on the 21-year-old.
Instead, they are prioritising other central midfielders such as RB Leipzig’s Amadou Haidara and Denis Zakaria of Borussia Monchengladbach.
Tchouameni, also wanted by Barcelona, was named Ligue 1 young player of the year for 2020-21.
And he has continued his fine form this season as a stalwart in the heart of Philippe Clement’s side.
But with Monaco at risk of missing out on European football next season, they may be preparing for life after the holding midfielder.
Like United, Chelsea have previously been linked with Declan Rice – but may also have moved their attention elsewhere.
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The Blues could target Tchouameni as the ‘complete’ player they hoped Tiemoue Bakayoko would be when they paid £40m for him in 2017.
Asked if he could be the long-term successor to French compatriot and international team-mate N’Golo Kante, French football expert Jonathon Johnson told Football London: “In terms of being the potential future fulcrum of Chelsea’s midfield, yes.
“However, I would argue that Tchouameni has the potential to do more than just replace Kante.
“The Monaco man has the makings of a rare complete midfielder whereas Kante has not built his reputation upon attacking prowess.
“Tchouameni could ultimately be the player Chelsea fans hoped Bakayoko would develop into.
“Tchouameni at the top of his game is a force of nature and has the potential to be the player that Tuchel builds his new-look midfield around.
“My impression is that Kante is closer to the end of his Chelsea story than the start, so it would make sense that Tuchel looks to blend Tchouameni more with Jorginho and Kovacic than his fellow Frenchman.”
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