'Signing Mbappe was a possibility' admits Real Madrid star
Cameron Smith
- 5 Sept 2023 21:50 BST
- 3 min read
Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni has admitted there “was a possibility” that Kylian Mbappe would join him at the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.
Tchouameni, 23, joined Los Blancos from AS Monaco last year after the Spanish giants saw off competition from Premier League giants Liverpool and Chelsea to seal his signature.
The France international enjoyed a mixed first season away from his homeland as he made 50 appearances in all competitions for Real, but lost his place in the starting XI after the World Cup ended.
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However, Carlo Ancelotti has placed his trust in the 23-year-old at the beginning of the new campaign and Tchouameni has started all four of Real’s La Liga games so far; Los Blancos have trialled a new 4-4-2 diamond formation this term, which has seen Jude Bellingham flourish as the most advanced midfielder and Tchouameni shine as the deepest.
The Real Madrid star is now on international duty with France for their upcoming European Championship qualifiers and has been questioned about his countryman Kylian Mbappe and a potential move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
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What did Tchouameni say?
As carried by AS, Tchouameni was asked whether Mbappe was close to joining Real during the now-closed summer transfer window. He replied: “It was a possibility in summer.
“Every club in the world wants him. Now he’s at PSG, so we’re not going to talk any more about it. We are very happy with what we have right now.”
Despite writing a letter to the Paris Saint-Germain hierarchy stating his desire to leave the club on a free transfer in 2024 rather than signing a contract extension, Mbappe remained at the Parc des Princes for the entire summer.
Now, reports from L’Equipe suggest he is willing to forego a €100 million pay-out in order to return to the PSG team.
Mbappe was frozen out during the summer, but has now featured in PSG’s past three Ligue 1 games. He came off the bench to net the opener in a 1-1 draw against Toulouse on his return to the side, while he has now scored back-to-back braces in wins over Lens and Lyon.
