Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Marc Mayo

Real Madrid newboy Aurelien Tchouameni reveals he snubbed Kylian Mbappe’s advice before sealing £85m transfer

Aurelien Tchouameni has revealed that Kylian Mbappe asked him to sign for Paris Saint-Germain - before he joined Real Madrid.

Mbappe famously rejected the Champions League winners last month when putting pen to paper on a new three-year stay with PSG.

France colleague Tchouameni decided to go against the striker’s advice and listen to Real stars Karim Benzema and Eduoardo Camavainga, who talked up life in Madrid.

“Kylian decided to stay at PSG and already knew I was going to leave Monaco,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

“Mbappe spoke to me, and asked me if I could come to Paris. But I told him I wanted to join Real Madrid, my choice was always Madrid. He understood my decision, he’s happy for me.”

“I was lucky enough to talk to Benzema and Camavinga,” he added.

“In the case of Camavinga, we have seen how he has improved in his first year and I am going to be lucky enough to play for the club with the best striker in the world. When the negotiations progressed, he messaged me and asked if there was any way he could help me.”

Real have paid an initial £69million for Tchouameni, 22, in a deal with Monaco that could reach £85m. Once the LaLiga giants’ interest emerged, he says his mind was made up.

“Before the Champions League final we had already started negotiations with Madrid,” he continued.

“When I watched the games against PSG and [Manchester] City I wrote to my agent and told him, ‘Do everything possible to get me there, please’.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.