Monaco chief sends transfer message to Liverpool and Real Madrid over Aurelien Tchouameni

Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell has made it clear to both Real Madrid and Liverpool that they will need to spend big to prise Aurelien Tchouameni away from the club.

The 22-year-old is regarded as one of Ligue 1 and France’s most promising young players and has been linked with a host of top clubs, with reports over the weekend claiming Liverpool and Real have already made their respective moves.

Both clubs are believed to have agreed personal terms with Tchouameni, though they still need to negotiate a fee with Monaco who are holding out for around €80million (£67.6m).

Monaco chief Mitchell admits he is anticipating plenty of interest in the midfielder this summer but the club are under no pressure to sell and will only sanction a move if they receive an offer that is too good to turn down.

Asked if he has any preference on whether Tchouameni joins Liverpool or Real Madrid, Mitchell told RMC Sport on Monday: ‘I don’t have a preference to be honest!

‘As always when you sell a player, there needs to be fair compensation. The market is different every year.

‘Everyone was able to see what a top player Aurelien is, but everyone also knows that we are an ambitious club with an ambitious shareholder.

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‘So no, I have no preference when it comes to selling him. We will have to be very aggressive in terms of the fee we demand to lose such an incredibly gifted player.’

On how difficult it will be to replace Tchouameni, Mitchell continued: ‘That’s why he’s so sought after!

‘The market is usually pretty smart especially