Real Madrid reportedly have no interest in letting one-time Liverpool target Aurelien Tchouameni depart the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.
The Frenchman made the move to the Spanish capital from Ligue 1 side AS Monaco last June after snubbing interest from the Reds and later signed a six-year deal with Madrid after they agreed to pay a fee in the region of £85m for the midfielder.
But following a difficult first campaign with the reigning Spanish and European champions, Tchouamnei has been linked with a surprise move to Anfield, with Eduardo Camavinga, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric all ahead of the 23-year-old in the eyes of manager Carlo Ancelotti.
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But reports of a swift departure from La Liga less than 12 months after penning a lucrative contract are said to be wide of the mark. That's according to Spanish publication AS, who claim Madrid officials are hopeful that the Frenchman's struggles are a result of the settling-in period that occurs when transitioning to a new team, league, manager and surroundings, and therefore "do not see any type of problem".
The report compares Tchouameni's struggles to those of Modric and Eder Militao after their respective transfers from Tottenham Hotspur and FC Porto, with the former Premier League maestro being labelled as the worst La Liga signing of the season by prolific Spanish newspaper Marca in 2012.
The news of Real Madrid's commitment to Frenchman comes just days after Liverpool pulled out of their race for Borussia Dortmund and England ace Jude Bellingham, with Klopp and the club's recruitment staff deciding that their current woes cannot be solved by the Englishman's addition alone.
The Reds will instead target a combination of top-class, Premier League-proven alternatives as Klopp is tasked with constructing a second, great Anfield dynasty, which is likely to start from outside of the Champions League places with Liverpool sitting a staggering 12 points behind Manchester United.
Chelsea duo Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher are two names the ECHO understands are being watched closely by those on Merseyside, while Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch is a player the Times have credited the Reds with an interest in after a difficult first season in Bavaria.
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