Aurelien Tchouameni subject of dressing room joke amid Man Utd transfer interest

Monaco midfielder Aurelian Tchouameni has revealed he was the subject of a dressing room joke after being linked with a move to Manchester United.

Tchouameni, 21, joined Monaco from fellow Ligue 1 outfit Bordeaux in January 2020 and is currently one of the brightest young prospects in world football.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 's United side are among those said to be interested in Tchouameni, although they reportedly aren't alone in their pursuit of the defensive midfielder.

The Metro claims Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea and Spanish giants Real Madrid are also keeping a close eye on the player's development.

After being linked with a move to Carlo Ancelotti's side in the summer transfer window, Tchouameni made the front page of Spanish daily newspaper Marca.

However, when asked recently what he thinks about the growing interest in him, Tchouameni insisted he isn't thinking too much of it, while revealing it became a dressing room joke among his Monaco team-mates.

"I remember I was in Paris, after the Nations League," Tchouameni told French outlet L'Equipe. "I woke up and my phone had blown up.

"My father called me, we talked about everything and he told me that I was on the front page of Marca. I went on Twitter and saw for myself.

"I told him it was cool, but what does it actually matter? It doesn't. The front page of Marca will not define me or allow me to perform well in matches.

"It's not real life, but it is the media world, the football business. They talk about me today but tomorrow, they'll be talking about another.

"In the dressing room, they put the cover up and laughed' 'Oh, you're leaving us already?'

"It's flattering, but I don't wake up in the morning thinking about it."

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The 21-year-old also said such speculation about his future has been going on ever since his playing days at Bordeaux.

"When I started in Bordeaux, the media were already wondering every summer if Aurelien Tchouameni was going to move to a bigger club," he said.

"In 2018, they were already talking about Juventus or Milan.

"I know for a fact that what is true in October is not necessarily what's true in June. If I start to think that I'm going to leave, it will show directly in my performances on the pitch."

Tchouameni has made 12 league appearances for Monaco this season - scoring once - in what has been a difficult campaign for Niko Kovac's side.

Monaco are currently 11th in Ligue 1 with 18 points, 16 behind Mauricio Pochettino's PSG side - who currently lead the way.

The midfielder has been capped five times by France and was part of the side's recent triumph in the Nations League in October.

Quite who wins the race to sign Tchouameni remains to be seen, but it is difficult to see him remaining at Monaco for much longer if he continues in this vein.