Chelsea are said to be open to the possibility of loaning back French centre midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni after they have successfully purchased him.
The Blues are in the market for a central midfielder either in January or the coming summer, with the current options in the squad being stretched very thinly due to simultaneous injuries to each of the main three players in the position throughout this season.
Tchouameni is one player Chelsea are targeting for this position, with the 21-year-old proving to be a class act for Monaco and the French national team, filling in for the absent N’Golo Kante for the latter to great effect.
However, he is not the only Frenchman Chelsea have been linked with, Sevilla defender Jules Kounde being a player Chelsea have made their interest in very explicit since the summer. But signing Tchouameni may prove to be a bit easier in the short term if they are open to loaning him back for the rest of the season.
Dean Jones, who is a football transfer insider, spoke on Episode 61 of The Si & Dan Talk Chelsea Podcast about the possibility of this clause being included in the deals and said: “I think that’s more likely with Tchouameni than Kounde.”
Both players have desirable qualities for Chelsea and both have very bright futures ahead of them which can seamlessly replace current members of the Chelsea team who are likely to move on on the coming years.
But depending on how flexible Chelsea are willing to be with their current squad options, they may choose to prioritise the easier deal first.
It’s is a real deal