AS Monaco chief sends Manchester United, Chelsea Aurelien Tchouameni warning

Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell has told Manchester United and Chelsea that they will have to pay a substantial transfer fee to sign in-demand midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.

The 22-year-old has been in impressive form at club level this season, scoring twice in 26 appearances in all competitions, while he has also developed into an important player for France.

Both Man United and Chelsea continue to be strongly linked with the midfielder, who still has two-and-a-half years left to run on his contract with his Ligue 1 outfit.

Mitchell has claimed that the Frenchman "is as expensive as the Grand Casino" in a warning to interested parties.

"He is a complete midfielder, very fast and physically strong, he reminds me of Steven Gerrard," Mitchell told Tuttosport. "He is already a top player despite being only 22, but if we want to become a top club, then we should not sell him.

"We are an ambitious club. Everyone, from President [Dmitry] Rybolovlev to coach Niko Kovac is ambitious here. However, we'll assess the situation at the end of the season. The player is under contract until 2024 and his transfer value is the one of a top player.

"Everything is expensive in Monte Carlo, let's say that Tchouameni is as expensive as the Grand Casino."

Tchouameni has scored five times and provided four assists in 71 appearances for Monaco since joining the Ligue 1 outfit from Bordeaux in January 2020.