Liverpool have officially been told that they can sign Monaco star Aurelien Tchouameni - but so have Real Madrid
Tchouameni is a target for Champions League finalists, Liverpool and Real Madrid this summer , with Monaco slapping a £60million price tag on the highly-rated defensive midfielder.
Earlier reports have disclosed that both European clubs have reached personal term with the 23-year-old, although, the France international is still contemplating which offer to take.
Tchouameni has also been touted as a target for Chelsea , Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United.
And now, Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell has confirmed that the Ligue 1 outfit are putting him up for sale this summer.
Amid the reported agreement with, Real and Liverpool, Mitchell was asked by RMC Sport where he would prefer Tchouameni to move: "I don't have a preference to be honest!" He replied.
"As always when you sell a player, there needs to be fair compensation. The market is different every year.
"Everyone was able to see what a top player Aurelien is, but everyone also knows that we are an ambitious club with an ambitious shareholder. So no, I have no preference when it comes to selling him. We will have to be very aggressive in terms of the fee we demand to lose such an incredibly gifted player."
Quizzed on how difficult Monaco's task will be to replace Tchouameni, Mitchell affirmed: "That's why he's so sought after! The market is usually pretty smart especially in the clubs you mentioned. That's why replacing him will be incredibly difficult but we will try to increase the full capacity of the team. I think it's important to keep building the team and not just focus on the individuals that make it up.
"We have a very competitive style of play and for us it would be a mark of success to build the depth of the team and the quality of the whole group because we are also going to come out of the pre-season with matches that will continue until mid-September. That's why I think replacing Aurelien Tchouameni at that time would be a difficult task, but it would be for anyone."
Tchouameni has proven his pedigree over a spectacular season in the French top flight. While his tally of three goals and two assists across 35 appearances is hardly impressive, Liverpool and Real Madrid's interest is down to his defensive qualities maybe.