Newcastle United are willing to pay the £80m fee that Real Madrid initially paid AS Monaco last year in order to sign Aurelien Tchouameni this summer, according to reports in Spain.

Newcastle United – are they signing Aurélien Tchouaméni?

Even though reports suggest that the Magpies are willing to pay a hefty fee for Tchouameni, Defensa Central have also suggested that the Spanish giants are not willing to sell the former Monaco man this summer.

Of course, there is still a lot of the summer transfer window to go, however, and a lot can change.

Such is Newcastle's spending power, if the move did become realistic, then the Magpies have the ability to make their move.

Eddie Howe has also been linked with a long-standing pursuit of James Maddison this summer.

Aurélien Tchouaméni would be Newcastle's biggest signing yet

The fact that Newcastle are even being linked with a move for Tchouameni shows just how far they've come in such a short space of time. Better yet, it could be said that they're more than capable of landing such a player.

The Magpies turned heads by splashing out on Alexander Isak back in January, but a move for the Real Madrid man would result in a reaction of jealousy from rivals and awe from the on-watching fans.

After the recent arrival of Jude Bellingham, too, Tchouameni may just begin to worry about his place at the Santiago Bernabeu, having played 2120 minutes in LaLiga last season – the equivalent of 23 games.

Add in the presence of the England international and the Frenchman may just struggle for game time. potentially opening the door for a shock move to St James' Park.

He could be Newcastle's answer to Declan Rice, who looks more and more likely to join Arsenal this summer, according to reports, with Newcastle known to have held an interest in recent months.

As per FBref, when compared, the Real Madrid man has a better pass completion rate, as well as more tackles and interceptions, won per 90 than the West Ham United midfielder.

With Champions League experience under his belt, too, Tchouameni represents the perfect option for clubs all around Europe at just 23-years-old.

His rise to the top has attracted praise from players of a similar calibre, with Paul Pogba speaking about his France teammate back in 2021, telling Ouest France (via the Daily Mail):

"It was a pleasure to play next to him. He brings a lot of energy. A lot of energy, extraordinary technical and physical quality.

"We wish him to play lots of matches and that I am always at his side."

It would be a landmark day for Newcastle if they did manage to sign Tchouameni, who journalist Lucas Navarrete once hailed as a "ball-recovering machine", that's for sure.

This would also be the moment that Howe's side pull up a chair at Europe's forcer expanding top table, where they would sit alongside the likes of Manchester City and co, especially with the Premier League runners-up closing in on a deal for Rice.

Although Real Madrid are currently unwilling to sell the French star, there's a long summer ahead, and anything could yet happen.