Liverpool maintain interest in Aurelien Tchouameni
Liverpool would be interested in signing Aurelien Tchouameni from Real Madrid even if they could only acquire him on loan, sources have told 90min.
The Reds have a long-standing interest in the midfielder and spent much of the 2021/22 season trying to convince him to sign from Ligue 1 side Monaco. Chelsea had also pushed hard for his signature before being placed under sanctions by the UK government.
After an impressive two-year stint in the microstate, Tchouameni essentially had the pick of which club to join and ended up heading to European champions Real Madrid, who defeated Liverpool in last year's Champions League final, for a transfer fee that could eventually reach €100m.
Liverpool's need to retool - particularly in midfield - has become a lot more evident this campaign, and 90min understands they remain huge fans of Tchouameni.
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Liverpool have informed Real Madrid they would be willing to take the 23-year-old off their hands should he become available. Jude Bellingham is expected to head to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, while Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are likely to pen new deals, making competition for midfield places fierce.
Tchouameni has endured a steady but hardly eye-catching debut season in Spain, though has not always been called upon in big games - most recently, he was dropped from the starting lineup to face Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
However, Carlo Ancelotti and the Real Madrid hierarchy do not intend to let the France international leave and the player himself has not displayed any signs of discontent. Nevertheless, even if Tchouameni is not available for a permanent transfer, Liverpool would still be interested in taking him on loan.
Other midfielders on Liverpool's radar include Mason Mount, James Maddison, Florian Neuhaus, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister. Bellingham had been their top target before pulling out of the race to sign him in April.
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On this edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders, Graeme Bailey & Toby Cudworth discuss the possibility of Neymar joining Newcastle, Jude Bellingham's decision on his future and Lionel Messi leaving PSG.
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