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Real Madrid’s new signing Aurelien Tchouameni has revealed that Kylian Mbappe tried to persuade him to join Paris Saint-Germain.
The 22-year-old was officially unveiled by Madrid on Tuesday having completed a €100million move to the Santiago Bernabeu from Monaco, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side winning the race for the highly coveted midfielder.
Mbappe, having already snubbed Madrid this window to pen a new deal with PSG, tried to strike again to frustrate Los Blancos by attempting to persuade his compatriot to move to the French capital.
“Kylian knew I was leaving Monaco and he wanted to know if I would join PSG,” Tchouameni told a news conference. “But my first choice was Real Madrid and he understood that completely.
“It’s true that I had the opportunity to choose, but as soon as I knew Madrid was interested, I didn’t hesitate for a second. I want to leave a mark on the history of football and there is no better team for that than Real Madrid.”
Other options were also on the table for Tchouameni, who confirmed he had received proposals from elsewhere, but he instructed his entourage to push a move to Madrid over the line.
“I had already spoken to other teams, but in my head I was waiting for the call from Madrid,” he said. “And when they did, I didn’t hesitate for a moment to talk to my family and agent to find the best deal. Being here is wonderful.
“As I said before, as soon as Real Madrid came out in the talks I directly told my agent to close that deal, it was what I wanted most. There were more options, but this is a dream that is fulfilled today.”
Tchouameni will wear the number 18 shirt at Madrid – previously worn by Gareth Bale – as his favoured number eight top is taken by Toni Kroos.
