Real Madrid are reportedly edging closer to an agreement to bring Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni to the club this summer.
The 22-year-old has developed into one of Europe's brightest prospects in the engine room since arriving at the Stade Louis II from Bordeaux in January 2020 for a £16.2m fee.
Tchouameni registered five goals and three assists from 50 outings in all tournaments last term as Philippe Clement's side secured a third-placed finish in Ligue 1 and a route into the Champions League qualifiers.
The France international has also become a mainstay of Didier Deschamps's Bleus setup and earned his 10th senior cap in Monday's 1-1 Nations League draw with Croatia, and interest in his services is rife.
The likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City have all been tipped to move for Tchouameni, who is out of contract at the end of the 2023-24 season.
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However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano now reports that Real Madrid are growing increasingly optimistic about their chances of winning the race for the former Girondins starlet.
A fee of approximately £68m will supposedly be required to prise Tchouameni away from Monaco, where he has struck a total of eight goals and seven assists in 95 outings.
Romano adds that Tchouameni already has an agreement with Real Madrid over personal terms, and the two clubs will continue their discussions in the coming hours.
The lynchpin was inevitably questioned on his future by Telefoot after linking up with the France squad but affirmed that he had "not yet" made a decision on his future.
"I'm not troubled by that (rumours), because it's a position I've always wanted to be in. As long as I'm followed by the top clubs, that means I'm doing good things," Tchouameni added.
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Should Tchouameni complete a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, he would follow a similar path to that of compatriot Eduardo Camavinga, who left Rennes for Los Blancos last summer in a £27.9m deal.
Camavinga largely struggled to disrupt the established midfield unit of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric but still made 40 appearances in total and earned plenty of plaudits for his contributions off the bench in the Champions League.
Modric is out of contract in Madrid this summer but has reportedly already agreed to an extension with Los Blancos, who could still wave goodbye to a wealth of fringe names.
Isco and Dani Ceballos are set to head for the exit door, and the midfield pair are two of nine players who Real Madrid are supposedly keen to part ways with in the coming weeks.
Tchouameni and France will aim to post their first win of the 2022-23 Nations League at the third attempt in Friday's clash with Austria.
Ben Knapton
