Aurelien Tchouameni, who was a former transfer target for Liverpool, admitted that he has found life ‘tough’ after making the expensive move to Real Madrid last summer. The French midfielder left Monaco for Real Madrid, joining the La Liga heavyweights for an estimated fee of over €80 million.
The 23-year-old has struggled to secure a regular starting role in Carlo Ancelotti’s team this year despite emerging as one of the most exciting young prospects across the globe. Aurelien Tchouameni has spoken up about his predicament in Madrid, claiming that it has been the first time in his career that he has gone through ‘tough moments,’ but he stressed that he is still has confidence in his own abilities.
Aurelien Tchouameni opens up on ‘tough moments’ at Real Madrid
Aurelien Tchouameni had become a regular starter for Real Madrid before the World Cup, but after his return from Qatar, the midfielder’s minutes have been drastically reduced. And Tchouameni’s form has been questioned after losing his starting position to Camavinga in the French national team. While the 23-year-old had the option to move to Liverpool last summer, he however has no regrets over picking the Los Blancos and that he will return to his usual form. Tchouameni said:
“I’m confident, I know what I can do. There can be tough moments in an athlete’s career, it’s the first time it has happened to me but I’m still learning. There is a lot of competition at Real Madrid & you need to be good to play.”
Aurelien Tchouameni claimed that he turned down a move to the Premier League before joining Real Madrid, which could have resulted in things going completely differently for the midfielder. In order to strengthen their midfield, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool were eager to sign the Frenchman. Yet, despite acknowledging the Reds were the first club to express interest, the former Monaco player insisted that ‘he didn’t hesitate for a second’ when Real Madrid came calling.
Speaking to Le Parisien in November, Tchouameni had said:
“It’s the biggest club in the world. If you want to accomplish great things, to mark the history of your sport, there is no better. So I didn’t hesitate for a second. I told my agent: as long as there is interest, we do everything to go there. I was already convinced. When Paris showed up, my choice was already made, even if I was happy to be approached by PSG.”
Since the World Cup, Aurelien Tchouameni hasn’t played for 90 minutes for Real Madrid and has started fewer than half the games he must have expected to. After choosing to watch an NBA Paris game instead of his team while he was out injured, the midfielder had a falling out with manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Tchouameni was spotted watching a Chicago Bulls-Detriot Pistons NBA game in Paris when Real Madrid were making an impressive comeback against Villarreal in the Copa del Rey round-of-16 match. His actions angered Madridistas, who expressed their displeasure on social media. The French international promptly apologised to the supporters and the team and accepted responsibility for his ‘mistake’.