Aurelien Tchouaméni: Second season successes.

Signed for £68m in the summer of 2022, Aurelien Tchouaméni joined Real Madrid as the long-term replacement for Casemiro, and as the potential heir to the crown of the title of best defensive midfielder in the world. While initially living up to this billing, and producing some fantastic performances, Tchouaméni’s form dipped after the World Cup, and these issues were never fully solved as his role as the starting defensive midfielder came under threat, as Ancelotti opted to use Toni Kroos as the 6 in most games, especially against big opponents. With the drop-off in confidence caused by the World Cup, and the lack of a consistent role in the team, Tchouaméni’s 2^nd half of the season did not replicate his start. Despite the drop-off in the spring, general sentiment around the player going into the 23/24 season remained positive, as he had shown enough to warrant patience, and based on his displays so far, being patient with him has proven to be the right decision.

As most fans had predicted, the best solution to Tchouaméni’s issues would be consistency, and that has proven to be true so far. Out of 12 total Madrid games this season, the Frenchman has started 11, and has looked like one of the best, if not the outright best, defensive midfielder in the world. Tchouaméni has looked near unbeatable on defense, while upping his game in possession considerably. His impact on the team has been so significant that the only LaLiga game the team has lost so far; the 3-1 loss to Atletico, was the only game Tchouaméni did not start.

 

 

On the defensive side of things, Tchouaméni has been ridiculous. While his statistics compared to last season on this end are not much different, his real value can be gauged when compared to other players in his role. Having always been one of the most consistent ball winners in Europe (he outright lead the top 5 leagues in combined tackles and interceptions while at Monaco), Tchouaméni ability to break-up play and recover possession is arguably the best in the world. Ranking in the 90^th percentile or higher for tackles, interceptions, and fewest challenges lost, Tchouaméni’s numbers more than reflect his performances. With over 2 successful tackles and successful aerial duels, Tchouaméni has been imperious both the air and on the ground. While Real Madrid’s midfield as a whole has been incredible at winning the ball back this season, as Fede, Bellingham and Camavinga are also fanstastic ball winners averaging recovery rates higher than the 80^thpercentiles, Tchouaméni has still managed to stand out. Acting as a shield in-front of the center-backs, Tchouaméni’s abilities to either bully an oncoming attacker to regain possession, break-up play with a clean tackle that often looks like him wrapping himself around the attacker, or perfectly timing a step-up to intercept, Tchouaméni has been an absolute wall. Even in the game against Osasuna, in which he started at CB, Tchouaméni won the most duels of any player (6), and won 4/5 aerial duels, showing how well he translated his skills into an even deeper role. On top of this, Tchouaméni has also shown that he is very intelligent at understanding when to cover for fullbacks, and often slots at full-back for whichever defender has gone forward. Tchouaméni’s lack of rashness and overt aggression is also a very good trait to have, and one he has displayed this season. Despite his role as a high-volume tackler, the Frenchman rarely over commits to a tackle or gives away a dangerous set-piece. Having received only 2 yellow cards so far, Tchouaméni is a very reliable tackler.

 

 

In possession, Tchouaméni has really stood out. One common criticism of the player last season was that in the absence of Kroos, Tchouaméni failed to make-up for the German’s absence, especially what he provided in possession. While replacing Kroos is a near impossible task, Tchouaméni has stepped up considerably, especially considering that Kroos has rotated with other midfielders more often than ever before. Tchouaméni’s successful long passes per game have doubled from 1.7 p90 last season to 3.5 this season, and his forward passes have also increased. Although his total passes p90 has dipped slightly, this can be attributed to the fact that he is playing with one more midfielder than he did last season, and possession is shared amongst the 4 rather than the 3 last season. Despite sharing possession more, in all of the following statistics, Tchouaméni ranks in the 90^th percentile or higher: passes completed, pass completion rate, passing distance, progressive passing distance, long pass completion rate, touches, carries, progressive carrying distance, and passes received. To rank this high in all of these categories is a feat very few midfielders in the world can achieve. Tchouaméni has proven to be a constant option for anyone to pass to, a super important trait that he shares with both Kroos and Modrić, and one that is reflected in his touches and passes received stats. Kroos ranks in the 99^th percentile for passes received, Modrić in the 95^th and Tchouaméni in the 97^th, which shows how central he really is to Real Madrid’s play. Moreover, in terms of his role at Madrid, Tchouaméni is the club’s 2^nd best passer into the final 3^rd, and 2^nd best progressive passer, both behind Kroos, while ranking 3^rd overall in LaLiga for both metrics.

 

 

As Kroos and Modrić age out, Tchouaméni’s role on the ball grows in importance. From his teammates touted as the future of Real Madrid’s midfield, Tchouaméni is the deepest player, and will have the burden of being the primary orchestrator from deep. Bellingham is an in-between the presence who plays higher-up, almost as a hybrid 8/10 role, and even as a pseudo false-9 this season, Fede and Camavinga play at 8 and are far less reserved than Tchouaméni, with both players being naturally inclined to carry the ball up very fast, as their main strengths in terms of ball progression lie in their ball-carrying ability. Due to these stylistic differences, the responsibility of a more reserved player, who progresses play through a wide range of passing, or slows down play with smart, short passing falls on Tchouaméni’s shoulders. Furthermore, being the natural 6, Tchouaméni is also the likeliest passing option for the goalkeeper and center-backs while building from deep, and the need for him to be secure on the ball, and to be a consistent progressive and long passer, is huge. Based on what he has shown so far, this role could be one he could excel in. Evading pressure has never been an issue for him, as his strength combined with his excellent technical ability in regards to dribbling and passing in tight spaces makes him a perfect profile to undertake such a role. Tchouaméni may not have the passing range and variety of techniques that Kroos and Modrić have perfected yet, he has still shown that the potential for him to develop into such distributors is there. Their volume and peak may never be replicated, but there may not be a need to. On the creative side of things, the burden has been shifted to Bellingham, and the combined creative and progressive abilities of Fede and Camavinga will surely compensate as well.

 

 

In a new-look Real Madrid side, Tchouaméni could be both the wall in front of the defense, while also being the catalyst for attacks from deep. His improvements this season have helped the team immensely right now, while giving an extremely positive outlook for his future in the team. If this trend continues, Tchouaméni could very well hit and exceed all expectations, and be an anchor for the midfield for a decade or more.