If there is a player who has recently been the target of much criticism in the international sports scene, it is Real Madrid's French midfielder, Aurélien Tchouaméni. The native of Rouen is being widely criticized as he is expected to step up to strengthen the Real Madrid midfield following Toni Kroos' departure, showing a certain lack of ball technique, standing out more for his physical ability and defensive performances.
This attribute, which is now coming to light more strongly, seems to have not entirely surprised Barcelona. It has been recently revealed that at one point the Catalan team had the midfielder on their list of potential signings when he played for AS Monaco. Tchouaméni had been closely followed by the Catalan team from a young age and was considered a valuable candidate to reinforce the midfield.
So, why did Barcelona stop closely monitoring a player who would eventually sign for Real Madrid in 2022 for €80 million plus €20 million in variables? The answer seems quite simple, as explained by Bojan Krkić Sr., who was one of the scouts for Barça at the time, in an interview for 'Què t'hi jugues' on SER Catalunya, where he detailed why the Barcelona team discarded Aurélien Tchouaméni.
The reason why FC Barcelona discarded the signing of Aurélien Tchouaméni
Krkić Sr. began by explaining what essential aspects could have been decisive for his signing by Barcelona: ""I went to see him two or three times, against Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Marseille. I always noted the same: power, strength, passing, aggressiveness in marking - even excessive..."," he started.
However, Krkić Sr. pointed out that the weakness in his game was significant enough to overshadow his positive aspects, automatically ruling him out as material for Barcelona. ""Very little creativity to play for a big club"," he concluded.
Ultimately, time has proven Krkić Sr. right, as lately Aurélien Tchouaméni has only shown glimpses of what is expected from a 'top' player, especially in technical terms and in the profile sought by Barcelona. Although he excels in physical and defensive aspects, he still falls short of expectations in terms of his performances with the ball at his feet, as indicated in Krkić Sr.'s report.