According to RMC Sport, there has been a late twist in the race to sign Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco this summer.
Tchouameni is one of the hottest properties in Europe, and for quite some time now, it has looked like a two-horse race between Real Madrid and Liverpool for his signature.
However, earlier this week it was reported that Tchouameni was bound for the Bernabeu, with RMC reporting that he had chosen to join Madrid over Liverpool.
As ever, things aren’t always as simple as they should be with a transfer of this magnitude, and just as Madrid thought they had all of the answers, Monaco have changed the question.
Indeed, the Ligue 1 outfit are now asking for more than the €80m (£68m) fee that had long been touted, and no agreement has yet been reached on that front.
According to this report, Liverpool remain in talks with Tchouameni, and if a move to Madrid collapses, the Reds may be there to pick up the pieces.
However, this move isn’t likely to collapse. Real Madrid have never been a team that allows finances to stop them from getting what they want, and if they are truly serious about signing Tchouameni, they will cough up the cash.
On the other hand, Florentino Perez isn’t a man who likes to be messed around, and with Monaco moving the goalposts at the last minute, there’s every chance that Los Blancos pull the plug on this deal out of principle.
Real Madrid are certainly leading this race, but it’s not over yet.
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