A Real Madrid midfielder that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was ‘willing to do anything’ to bring to the Emirates Stadium is going from strength to strength, with the star publicly expressing his delight at playing under Xabi Alonso at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Arsenal were one of the busiest clubs in the summer transfer window, with sporting director Andrea Berta and manager Arteta making shrewd signings in their quest to beat the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City to the Premier League title this season.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapie all joined Arsenal before the summer transfer window closed on September 1.
While Arsenal are well stocked in midfield and are very strong in that department, Arteta wanted the north London club to sign Aurelien Tchouameni, according to the Spanish media.
E-Noticies reported on August 5 that Arsenal had ‘shown strong interest in signing Aurelien Tchouameni’, adding that ‘Mikel Arteta is a great admirer of the Frenchman and is willing to do anything to bring him to London’.
The report claimed that Arsenal were ready to offer €75 million (£65m, $88m) for the 25-year-old France international midfielder.
It was not the first time that the Gunners were linked with the Real Madrid star in the summer, with a Spanish report back in May claiming that Arsenal had taken a shine to Tchouameni, who was once described by former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand as “a superb talent” and an “incredible player” on BBC Sport.
The €75 million (£65m, $88m) offer from Arsenal never arrived, and Tchouameni, who was also linked with Liverpool, stayed at Real Madrid.
The 25-year-old endured a mixed season at Madrid under then-manager Carlo Ancelotti in the 2024/25 campaign, with his performances at centre-back often criticised by the Santiago Bernabeu faithful.
Tchouameni did undergo a ‘curious metamorphosis’ at Real Madrid as the season progressed and eventually won over the fans.
The 25-year-old has stepped up his game under Xabi Alonso, with the new Real Madrid manager making him a key figure in his team.
Tchouameni is now a regular in his familiar defensive midfield role, playing all six matches for Los Blancos at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and starting all three LaLiga games this season.
The midfielder has carried his club form to the national team, with Tchouameni helping France beat Ukraine in a World Cup qualifier last week.
The Madrid star started the match as one of two holding midfielders in a 4-2-3-1 formation and provided the assist for his Real Madrid team-mate Kylian Mbappe’s goal in the 82nd minute in a 2-0 win.
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Aurelien Tchouameni happy under Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid
Whether or not Arsenal will regret not making the offer for Tchouameni in the summer transfer window only time will tell, but it seems that the midfielder himself does not have any regret at staying at Real Madrid.
The former AS Monaco star is happy to be playing under Alonso and believes that the new Madrid manager has helped him add facets to his game.
AS quoted Tchouameni as saying on September 8: “The reality is that there were times last season when I played in defence.
“It allowed me to gain experience and see things differently. The coach, Xabi Alonso, has new ideas. He contributes a lot to my game.”
Real Madrid themselves have been impressed with Tchouameni’s performances, professionalism and commitment.
According to Defensa Central, a Real Madrid-centric news outlet, if Tchouameni continues to do well, then Los Blancos will offer him a new contract with a better pay-package, with the report describing the midfielder as ‘one of the team’s pillars’ for Alonso.
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