Real Madrid are believed to be in pole position to bring Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni to Bernabeu during this summer's transfer window.
The France international enjoyed a strong 2021-22 campaign for his Ligue 1 club, scoring five goals and contributing three assists in 50 appearances in all competitions.
A number of teams, including Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool, are believed to be keen to sign the midfielder this summer, but Real Madrid are said to lead the race.
Tchouameni would be an expensive signing for Carlo Ancelotti's side, with Monaco believed to want in excess of €80m (£68.1m) for a player that still has two years left to run on his current deal.
With that in mind, Sports Mole looks at how the team could line up next season, should they manage to bring the Frenchman to the club.
Real Madrid are believed to be on the verge of announcing the signing of Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer from Chelsea, but the Germany international faces a battle to secure a starting role next term, as Eder Militao and David Alaba both enjoyed excellent campaigns for the La Liga and European champions.
Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy and Thibaut Courtois were also brilliant in the Champions League final, while Casemiro put in a masterclass of a performance in the middle of midfield.
Ancelotti would be under pressure to play Tchouameni due to the reported cost of the deal, and Toni Kroos and Luka Modric could be rotated out of the side next term to make way for the Frenchman.
Kroos and Modric would still receive plenty of football due to the number of matches throughout a season, but the former could find himself left out more often than he would like.
Tchouameni has now scored eight goals and registered seven assists in 95 appearances for Monaco, and the 22-year-old would bring fresh qualities to the Real Madrid midfield.
Having missed out on Kylian Mbappe, there is expected to be at least one new addition further forward, but Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema will again be certainties in the front three next term, while Federico Valverde is likely to find himself playing off the right once again in the big matches.
Rodrygo has also been key for Real Madrid in the latter stages of the campaign, while Eden Hazard is staying and would be a huge asset for the team if he can find a way to rediscover his Chelsea form.
Eduardo Camavinga has also impressed during his first campaign at Real Madrid, so adding Tchouameni into the midfield mix would leave Los Blancos feeling a lot better about both Kroos and Modric coming to the end of their careers.
Matt Law
