Liverpool and Chelsea have reportedly emerged as two of the frontrunners to sign Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.
The persistent speculation regarding the future of the player comes as no surprise with the 21-year-old having recently earned the praise of compatriot Paul Pogba.
While the feeling is that the 21-year-old can only benefit from another year of regular football in Ligue 1, there is an inevitability about a future transfer to one of European football's elite clubs.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at Tchouameni and what supporters should expect if he eventually decides to move to the Premier League
Background
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There is sometimes the assumption that combative midfielder Tchouameni came through the youth system at Stade Louis II before eventually making his impact in the first-team squad under Nico Kovac.
However, Tchouameni initially performed well at Bordeaux, featuring on 37 occasions in all competitions and adding experience in the Europa League to his CV.
By the time of Tchouameni's 20th birthday, Monaco had registered a concrete interest in signing the player, and a deal which could eventually be worth £16.2m was pushed through before the end of the 2020 January transfer window.
Tchouameni would be restricted to just three more outings during 2019-20, but being momentarily derailed off-course did not prevent the prospect making a notable impression during the following campaign.
Recent form
Ahead of 2020-21, Tchouameni had never played more than 19 times in a season as a professional, a statistic which needed to change if he was to be taken seriously at the highest level.
Under the guidance of new boss Kovac, a total of 42 appearances were made during the Croatian's first campaign with Tchouameni chipping in with two goals and four assists in Ligue 1.
Such was the level of his performances that Tchouameni was voted into the Ligue 1 Team of the Year, as well as earning the division's Young Player of the Year accolade.
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More importantly, Monaco earned a return to European football. Despite falling at the last hurdle in Champions League qualifying in August, Monaco have earned four points from games with Sturm Graz and Real Sociedad in the Europa League.
Tchouameni completed the 90 minutes in both matches, while he has missed just 16 minutes of Monaco's opening nine fixtures in Ligue 1.
International experience
France have a history of moving their most talented players through the age groups of their national team setup, and it was no different where Tchouameni was concerned.
He featured at every level between Under-16s and Under-21s, making a total of 52 appearances, and he finally got his opportunity with the seniors in September.
Tchouameni made his debut as a half-time substitute in the World Cup qualifier against Bosnia-Herzegovina before making a start against Ukraine three days later.
While both matches ended in frustrating 1-1 draws, Tchouameni had effectively cemented himself as one of European football's biggest talents ahead of a likely transfer elsewhere.
Darren Plant
