Pogba Wants Manchester United To Sign $34M Frenchman Who Is Chelsea’s Target

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has hinted that he wants Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to sign Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who is believed to be a target of Premier League rivals, Chelsea, for next summer.

Chelsea were interested in Tchouameni at the recently concluded 2021 summer market. But The Blues eventually decided to wait to see the French midfielder earn another year’s experience in Ligue 1 before making a move, as per Sports Illustrated.

Tchouameni, who made his debut with the France national team earlier this year, is contracted with Monaco until 2024. While Chelsea have made the 21-year-old Frenchman one of their top targets for next summer, Pogba wants to see his young France teammate at Old Trafford. The two midfielders recently were seen together playing for France in their country’s 1-1 draw against Ukraine in a World Cup 2022 qualifier fixture.

In a recent interview, Manchester United star Pogba heaped praises on his talented compatriot, saying “It was a pleasure to play next to him.”

"Very very good. He's not a boy, he's a man. It was a pleasure to play next to him. He brings a lot of energy. He has a lot of energy, extraordinary technical and physical quality. I hope to play plenty of games together and to always be on his side," Pogba told French media outlet Ouest-France.

Champions League winners Chelsea already have a decorated midfield in N'Golo Kante and Jorginho. Both the players were up for the 2020-21 UEFA Men's Player of the Year award and the trophy went to Jorginho, who won the Euros 2020 with Italy earlier this year.

The 21-year-old Tchouameni could be a promising signing for The Blues, considering both Kante and Jorginho will be 30 by the end of the year.

Even though Manchester United had a successful 2021 summer window, where they signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus and long-term target Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, the Red Devils failed to secure a midfielder.

Despite having a star-studded midfield comprising Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Fred, Solskjaer wanted to add another midfielder to increase depth in his squad. The Norwegian manager was on a hunt for a defensive-minded midfielder and Monaco’s Tchouameni would fit perfectly in the role.

After rising through the ranks of Bordeaux’s youth setup, Tchouameni made his senior debut with the French club during the 2018-19 season. After spending two full seasons at his boyhood club, Tchouameni moved to Monaco during the January window, last year. He has netted four goals and as many assists in 53 appearances for the Ligue club, across all competitions.