Chelsea's decision to delay a move for AS Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni has backfired after he agreed to join Real Madrid this summer.
The 22-year-old was the subject of heavy interest from across Europe with Real Madrid, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea all vying for his signature.
He told Telefoot earlier this month that he was yet to make a decision on his future, saying: "My future? I have not made my decision yet."
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But it was believed that Real Madrid was his next destination and that has now been confirmed by David Ornstein of the Athletic who has revealed Carlo Ancelotti’s side have reached a verbal agreement to sign the France international in a deal worth more than €100m.
All that is left to do is for the clubs to finalise the paperwork and regulatory procedures before the transfer can be signed off and announced.
This will be of huge frustration to Chelsea, who have only recently been able to start speaking to players and clubs regarding players for the first time since March following the multi-billion pound takeover of the club after former owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned and restrictions, including player activity, were placed on the club.
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Although Chelsea were left with little chance in the race for Tchouameni this summer, they have paid the price for a decision made in the summer transfer window last year.
Those at the club felt Tchouameni needed one more season to develop in Ligue 1 which is why the Blues held off from trying to convince AS Monaco to part ways with their highly-rated youngster.
Instead, Chelsea signed Saul Niguez on Deadline Day last August, a move which has not worked out with his season-long loan not being made permanent as he departs back to parent club Atletico Madrid.
Despite missing out on Tchouameni, Todd Boehly has promised to invest in the squad and acquire the best talent for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
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He said last month: “We’re all in - 100 percent - every minute of every match. Our vision as owners is clear: we want to make the fans proud. Along with our commitment to developing the youth squad and acquiring the best talent, our plan of action is to invest in the Club for the long-term and build on Chelsea’s remarkable history of success.”
They can begin their work of completing deals on Friday when the transfer window opens for the Blues.
Topics: Football, Chelsea, Aurelien Tchouameni, Real Madrid
Matthew Debono