This is Tchouaméni, the French pearl that probes Madrid

“He is not a child, he is a man. And with an extraordinary talent”Pogba said. There is a diamond in France that shines brightly: Aurelien Tchouameni (Rwan, 22 years old). A stranger to many that he will soon cease to be, because he is knocking down the doors of football and knocking on those of the offices fiercely. Born in France but of Cameroonian descent, he is an enormously complete footballer; he has corpulence, vision of the game, margin for the future and an exquisite touch. That symphony of conditions has positioned him as one of the youngsters with the greatest projection of the moment, piercing the orbits of Real Madrid and PSG, among others. In white, he would be Casemiro’s natural replacementhis main position being that of pivot, although he can also play as a pure midfielder. In France, in fact, he does it, sharing the engine room with Pogba.

x-ray of a diamond

At defensive section it has galactic numbers. Without going further, He is the pivot that recovers the most balls in all of Europe (6.63 every 90 minutes), ahead of Coquelin (6.30). His physical conditions make him a rock, with 1.87 meters of height and 83 kilos of weight. It stands out mainly for its robust lower body, which allows it to get out of most crashes, as it never loses its balance. Few will be able to say that they have won a contest against good old Aurélien. He is a footballer who never loses his position, joining the attack little, unless his coach orders it. That makes him a outstanding pivota firewall that will always be behind the flyers.

But it can also be a organizer. And very reliable. This season is signing a 87% passing accuracy, having been 81% forward. He is a brave, daring player, who when he plays he does it looking towards the rival goal; he rarely backs down and parries an attack. He dribbles very little (1.24 per game), being his priority control and tap fast, no tangles. And, when the leash is released, he reaches the rival area. He makes 1.60 shots per game, encouraging themselves at least once each game to try their luck from the front. Overlooked is a portent, being a danger in the corners in favor and a guarantee in the respective ones against.

Trajectory

Born in Ruana humble town in the north of France, a few kilometers from Le Havre. He grew up in the Girondins youth academy, where at just 15 years old he was already recruited for the U-17 team. At 16 he went to the Sub-19 and at 17, he was already playing in the subsidiary. While still a minor he was called up three times by the first team, but his debut was made to wait. It was in the 2018-19 season, when he played as a starter the preliminary phase to the Europa League against Ventspils (Latvia). Two games later he was already marked his first official goal, in Mariupol against the resident team. That course alternated a lot of work for the subsidiary and the first team, with which he played 19 games.

It was the next one, 2019-20 (‘quarantine football’), when it exploded, making the final leap to being one of the biggest. He played 21 games and caught the attention of Monaco, who would sign him in exchange for 18 million. It was such a strong bet that last season he played… 42 games! Practically everything. He arrived and, suddenly, it was indisputable. He only missed two games, one due to an accumulation of cards and the other due to minor discomfort in his ankle. He broke it and earned a call from Deschampswhich made him debut with the senior team in a qualifying match for Qatar 2022 against Bosnia (he entered the break for Lemar). This season he already has 42 games, the same as in all of last and three goals (equaling his best figure).

French National Team

He debuted at the age of 21 years, 7 months and 5 days. It was the night just mentioned, on a visit from Bosnia to Paris with a view to the Qatar 2022 World Cup. He has played eight games with the absolute, going from less to more. Some will remember that he was a starter in the Nations League final against Spainaccompanying Pogba in midfield (Deschamps’ men won the title by winning 1-2 at the San Siro). Last Friday he scored his first goal… Although in a friendly to beat Ivory Coast. It was the 92nd minute, the electronics reflected a tie at one and his header, coming out of a corner, unlocked the victory. It aims to be one of the key pieces of France in Qatar.

Future

“He is not a child, he is a man. He brings a lot of energy, because he has an extraordinary talent and physique”Thus, with these words, he blessed him Pogba after a game against Ukraine. Forceful, despite the fact that it aims to be a personal threat in the short term. THe has a contract with Monaco until June 2024 (this season and two more) and is valued at 40 million, according to indices of Transfermarkt. “It’s a top club,” he said at a press conference about the PSG, another alleged suitor. His agent denied in The Parisian have any agreement, to date, with any club. Busy summers seem to the pearl of Rouen, with a great present and an immense future.