Today’s football, in which physique and kilometers traveled are as important as talent, profiles like that of Aurélien Tchouaméni also cause disputes with club-states. This has happened to Madrid, again with PSG involved, but on this occasion, and unlike what happened with Mbappé, the weight of the shield and history has been the option chosen by the intended player. A decision that Florentino Pérez applauded at the presentation ceremony for Tchouaméni, who since yesterday already knows what it means to wear the white shirt that has won fourteen European Cups.
«Madrid does not stop at complacency. What we have done this season serves to feed the myth.
That is why we have to strengthen ourselves with players who believe in our club. And today we do it with a young footballer who is already one of the best midfielders in the world. Aurélien, at only 22 years old you had the opportunity to choose and you have chosen this shield and this shirt that has 14 European Cups. Madrid fans are proud that a young talent like you has chosen Real Madrid. Choose is the most demanding club, but also the most loved and admired, “said the white president, in a clear allusion to Mbappé’s unexpected and painful no.
Kylian, by the way, replied with two applause emoticons to his compatriot’s tweet in which he boasted of his signing for Madrid. Aurélien himself confessed to the media that Mbappé had asked him to sign for PSG: «He already knew that I was going to leave Monaco and wanted to know if I would sign for PSG, but he understood that my first option was always Real Madrid ».
Tchouaméni is one of those modern young footballers who soaks up Big Data, reviews and analyzes his matches and that of his rivals on video, and lives by and for his profession 24/7. A soccer player with a high level of demand and an interesting list of references: «I try to be inspired by American culture, by basketball players like Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan. I watch your videos on YouTube. They are legends who gave the most of themselves, who always wanted to improve their game to give the best. With the minimum we can not think that we are going to achieve success ».
Zidane and Benzema are also in that showcase. From the first, he remembers his giant World Cup in 2006 in Germany, in which France lost the final against Italy on penalties. Of the second, his twelve glorious years in the Spanish capital in which he has been a part and has been a key player in Madrid’s five Champions League: «When the negotiations progressed, Karim wrote to tell me if he could help me with anything. He and Zidane are my idols.”
Those contacts were already carried out during Madrid’s epic comebacks in Europe against PSG, Chelsea and City, matches and qualifiers that made Tchouaméni fall in love: “I had the opportunity to choose other teams, but when I found out that Madrid was interested in me, I didn’t I didn’t doubt it for a single second. I called my agent and said, do your best to get me there, please. I want to leave a mark on the history of football, and for that the best team is Madrid.”
Tchouaméni will wear the number 18 that Jovic and Bale have worn on their backs in recent seasons. The French midfielder has always played with number 8, Kroos’ number, so he opted for the closest one, which is number 18. He arrives as Casemiro’s successor, and he is clear about what he should bring to Madrid: “Pass, interceptions , recoveries, physical… All this I can contribute to the team. I have always played with another midfielder in the team. In Madrid with a 4-3-3, my position would be pivot, but I can also play inside.
