Real Madrid signs Aurélien Tchouaméni

Aurélien Tchouaméni, during the Austria-France match on Friday in Vienna. FRANCK FIFE (AFP)

Real Madrid has built the second golden age for titles in its history based on a happy litany: Casemiro-Kroos-Modric.

However, the law of life begins to dangerously tighten the fence around them.

The Brazilian is 30 years old;

the German, 32;

and the Croatian, 36. After seasons without the club moving a piece on that plot, given to a shortlist that is known in the offices as "the three tenors", the relief in the white medullary begins to take shape and, above all , muscle.

To the growth in recent months of Valverde (23 years old) and the flashes of Camavinga (19), the signing of Aurélien Tchouaméni (Rouen, France, 22 years old), from Monaco, was definitively added yesterday.

Another young man for the stable of the future who, in this case, arrives with signing figures that place him at another level of expectations and demands.

With Valverde, Camavinga and now Tchouaméni, Madrid is lined up in the middle with a trio of midfielders that fits into the new media paradigm that governs world football, where physique and muscle are presented as non-negotiable tolls.

After Ronaldo's departure in 2018, the club strove to alleviate the offensive crack (Vinicius, Hazard, Rodrygo, Jovic, Mariano or Brahim), but barely moved a piece in the middle.

In the following campaigns, everything continued in the hands of the usual three (Casemiro-Kroos-Modric).

However, in just one year the landscape has changed significantly with Valverde, Camavinga and Tchouaméni, symbols of a new trend.

A Casemiro profile

The signing of the former Monaco player is also the great attempt to find a double for Casemiro, a profile that the squad has practically lacked since the Brazilian became the starter in 2016. Madrid had Marcos Llorente between 2017 and 2019 , but he barely had opportunities and his performance was far from what he offered later at Atlético.

Kroos, Valverde and even Modric have passed through such a delicate position.

Ancelotti tried last year with Camavinga, who still does not know if he will be a pivot or a midfielder, and the youngster went from less to more, with promising performances since February.

However, the signing of Tchouaméni is presented, by profile and investment, in the clearest attempt to find relief and a break for Casemiro, the youngest in any case of the trio of untouchables.

The former Monaco player had been clear for weeks that he preferred to play for Madrid, and in Chamartín they hoped to seal the agreement they had reached with him, but the negotiation with the French club had not been resolved.

Monaco wanted a sale for a price starting at 80 million, while Madrid wanted a less expensive operation.

But PSG got in the way again.

Kylian Mbappé, recently extended his contract after rejecting Madrid, was very interested in his compatriot and the club tried to get the footballer.

PSG's bid raised the price of the operation initially calculated by the white club, and which, according to some sources, has been closed at 80 million plus 20 in variables.

Tchouaméni has also been a target of Liverpool, whose manager, Jürgen Klopp, traveled to Monaco to try to convince him.

on the visit,

In his two seasons at Monaco, Tchouaméni, who made his professional debut at Bordeaux at the age of 18, has signed numbers that trace a profile more similar to that of Casemiro.

Last year he was the footballer with the most interceptions in Ligue 1, with 114, according to data from

, and the third of the five major leagues, only behind the Croatian Badelj (Genoa) and the Brazilian Bremer (Torino) .

Casemiro added 59. They are more even in the offensive registers, where they generated the same danger: 2.9 expected goals for the French and 3 for the Brazilian.

Also in passes: 62.1 passes per game vs. 67.8.

A young player, very physical, not lacking in goals and in the

of the most expensive with whom Madrid tries to shore up the relief for a midfield that has led four Champions Leagues.

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