Tottenham match €100m Liverpool bid for star midfield target

Rusty Gorelick
  • 25 Jan 2026 22:04 GMT
  • 3 min read
Thomas Frank, Tottenham
© IMAGO

Tottenham has matched Liverpool’s €100 million bid for a midfield star, according to Fichajes.

Article continues under the video

Both clubs are looking to bring Real Madrid defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni to the Premier League.

Tchouameni turns 26 in two days, and as one of the best No. 6s in the world, he would provide a huge boost to either club’s midfield.

Current ETV
Player image Aurélien Tchouaméni
Aurélien Tchouaméni

DM, M (C)

Real Madrid logo

Real Madrid

Aurélien Tchouaméni
Aurélien Tchouaméni

DM, M (C)

Real Madrid

Real Madrid

€72.9M

ETV Range

€65.6M - €80.2M

The Frenchman has played centre-back more than usual this season, largely due to recently sacked Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso’s insistence on using a 3-4-2-1 formation.

With Spurs, Tchouameni would be the long-term replacement for midfield destroyer Joao Palhinha, who is on loan from Bayern Munich this season.

Liverpool, meanwhile, need a star defensive midfielder. Ryan Gravenberch’s move to the position last season helped the club win the Premier League in manager Arne Slot’s debut campaign, but this year, the team has been too easy for opponents to attack.

A new record signing for Spurs, or a much-needed addition for Liverpool?

Tottenham signed two of its top three most expensive players this summer: Xavi Simons (€65m) and Mohamed Kudus (€63.8m).

The club is on course to finish in the bottom half of the Premier League for the second straight season.

As a result, the club's hierarchy will be eager to further improve the team.

Tchouameni, who was part of Real Madrid's La Liga and Champions League-winning 2023/24 team, would provide the requisite quality.

Aurelien Tchouameni
© IMAGO - Aurelien Tchouameni

Liverpool, meanwhile, ranks last in the Premier League in tackles (12.6 per match) and second-to-last in interceptions (6.5 per match). That is partially because the team averages the highest share of possession in the league, but also due in part to the lack of a defensive specialist shielding the back line.

The Real Madrid holding midfielder, who averages 2.2 tackles and 1.34 interceptions per 90 minutes this season, would go a long way to curing the Reds’ ills in the middle of the park.

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