Former Liverpool target Aurelien Tchouameni has revealed that he decided against a move to Anfield as soon as Real Madrid's interest in him emerged.
Tchouameni, 22, was one of the most coveted midfielders in Europe prior to his big-money switch to the Bernabeu last summer and was being pursued by a host of high-profile clubs.
Reds chief Jurgen Klopp was keen on bringing the former Monaco man to Merseyside to revamp Liverpool's midfield. But Los Blancos swooped in to pinch the midfield magician - and Tchouameni has now explained that his choice was "already made" once it became clear that Real Madrid were a viable option.
In an interview with French outlet Le Parisien, the midfielder explained: "The first to contact was Liverpool and we were talking, but Real Madrid arrived and in my mind everything was clear. It was Real Madrid and nobody else. It is the biggest club in the world. The history of your sport, there is nothing better.
Tchouameni added: "I didn't hesitate for a second. I told my agent: as long as there is interest, we will do everything to go there. I was already conditioned. When Paris appeared, my choice was already made."
Since moving to Spain, Tchouameni has thrived under Carlo Ancelotti and underlined why he was held in such high esteem at Bordeaux. After missing out on Tchouameni, Liverpool elected to stick with their current midfield options with a view to overhauling the area next summer.
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But that decision backfired in the opening weeks of the season, and Klopp has been left with a dearth of first-team options due to injuries.
The Reds did backtrack after insisting that their transfer business was done following the blockbuster deal that saw Darwin Nunez arrive for a club-record fee.
Arthur Melo arrived at Anfield on a deadline day loan deal from Juventus, but the Brazilian midfielder hardly featured before sustaining a serious injury.
While Klopp dismissed speculation that Liverpool would try to cut Arthur's loan spell short in the New Year, the German did confirm that the Juve man would be sidelined for a long time.
"It's a really serious injury," Klopp said at the end of October. "He's here. It's a long-term injury and when he's back, we'll think about it again.
"I have no idea how long it will be but it will be long. But at the moment, it's too far away. No [we won't cut the loan in January]."
