Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfielder will stay amid uncertainty; set to have an important role
Amid all the uncertainties around Real Madrid’s midfield in recent weeks, one player whose future was called into question was Aurelien Tchouameni.
The Frenchman has been a mainstay in Los Blancos’ midfield for a few years now, but Jose Mourinho’s demand for a new defensive midfielder and the club’s links with a big-money move for Rodri threw his future into a grey area.
After all, Manchester United have been interested in the Frenchman for a long time, and he was considered an asset who can generate significant revenue should the club require it.
A clear situation now
As clarified by Fabrizio Romano earlier today, however, Tchouameni’s future is now clear beyond doubt, and Real Madrid have decided that he will stay.
Despite all the rumours doing the rounds, the Frenchman will be a Real Madrid player next season and his contract renewal has already been signed.
Jose Mourinho heavily counts on the player for the upcoming season, and Tchouameni will play a leading role in Real Madrid’s midfield as the only pure defensive midfielder in the squad. He will be an important player under Mourinho.
Uncertainty prevails
While Tchouameni remains a strong contender to be a regular starter for Real Madrid, there is an overall sense of uncertainty around how Jose Mourinho will line up his midfield troops this season.
After all, Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham have been de facto starters alongside Tchouameni in recent years, but Bernardo Silva’s arrival means that one of the players could be dropped from the starting lineup.
If recent reports are to be believed, Mourinho wishes to build his midfield around Silva with the Portuguese star playing as a deep-lying midfielder.
In that sense, he could replace one of Tchouameni or Valverde in the XI at a time when dropping neither player is easy.
With Tchouameni set to return to training this week, there will thus be focus on the player’s adaptation to Jose Mourinho’s preseason and dynamics.
After all, he did not have a memorable World Cup and has a lot to improve if he is to push to be the de facto starter.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
