Aurelien Tchouameni explains PSG snub despite pleas from Kylian Mbappe
Real Madrid’s latest midfield acquisition Aurelien Tchouameni has revealed Kylian Mbappe pleaded with him to join Paris Saint-Germain.
The 22-year-old France international completed an £85m switch to the European champions earlier this week from Monaco, becoming Carlo Ancelotti’s second signing of the summer following Antonio Rudiger’s confirmed switch from Chelsea.
Tchouameni emerged as one of the most sought-after midfielders along the French Riviera after impressing for Monaco, with plenty of elite clubs believed to have been vying for his signature before Los Blancos confirmed his arrival in the Spanish capital.
Despite showing no signs of ageing, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro are now all into their 30s, with the former turning 37 in just three months’ time, so Ancelotti has looked to reinforce his midfield with one or two younger recruits.
Teenage sensation Eduardo Camavinga pitched up last summer from Rennes, and now his compatriot Tchouameni has joined him at the Bernabeu, with the duo expected to carry Real Madrid forward once Modric and Kroos wind down.
Of course, for a player of Tchouameni’s quality, Real Madrid were not the only club courting his services, with the former Monaco man now revealing Mbappe attempted to lure him to the Parc des Princes, but the PSG star’s efforts ultimately fell on deaf ears.
Tchouameni explained: “Kylian decided to stay at PSG and he already knew I was going to leave Monaco and wanted to know if I could go to PSG, but I told him I wanted Madrid and he understood perfectly.
“I have been lucky enough to speak with [Karim] Benzema and [Eduardo] Camavinga. In the case of Camavinga, we have seen how he has improved in his first year and I am going to be lucky enough to play for the club with the best striker in the world. When the negotiations progressed, he wrote to me and he asked me if he could help me.
“I now want to leave a mark on football and the best club for this is Real Madrid. It’s the best decision for me. I try to be the best on the field. The price of the signing doesn’t interest me at all.”
