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Chelsea defensive midfielder scouting series part five: Aurelien Tchouameni

By Olaoluwa Nwobodo

REIMS, FRANCE - MAY 09: Aurelien Tchouameni of AS Monaco in action during the Ligue 1 match between Stade Reims and AS Monaco at Stade Auguste Delaune on May 9, 2021 in Reims, France. (Photo by Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images)
REIMS, FRANCE - MAY 09: Aurelien Tchouameni of AS Monaco in action during the Ligue 1 match between Stade Reims and AS Monaco at Stade Auguste Delaune on May 9, 2021 in Reims, France. (Photo by Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images) /
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ANNECY, FRANCE – MAY 13: Jocelyn Gay of Rumilly-Vallieres (L) battles for the ball with Aurelien Tchouameni of AS Monaco (R) during the French Cup match between Rumilly and Monaco at Parc Des Sports on May 13, 2021 in Annecy, France. (Photo by Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
ANNECY, FRANCE – MAY 13: Jocelyn Gay of Rumilly-Vallieres (L) battles for the ball with Aurelien Tchouameni of AS Monaco (R) during the French Cup match between Rumilly and Monaco at Parc Des Sports on May 13, 2021 in Annecy, France. (Photo by Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images) /

Play style

Tchouameni currently plays in a high pressing team and contributes heavily to said press. He looks to close down opposing players and start attacks by distributing the ball to forward players as quickly as possible (which is most competent midfielders or defensive midfielders anyway). Monaco’s pressing has been so good that it ranks third for successful pressures in Ligue 1, and ranks first for percentage of successful pressures. That’s impressive, especially for a Monaco team that is not a defensive one. Les Monegasques are very much possession-oriented, though not to Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain levels.

Monaco has managed 54.3 percent possession on average this season, compared Chelsea’s 58.4 percent. Tchouameni’s team(s) have had an average possession of 54 percent since the beginning of last season. Kante’s team has had 58 percent in that time. Tchouameni has averaged 18.6 pressures per 90 since the beginning of last season, winning 6.5 of them per 90. Kante averages more pressures (21.5) and more successful pressures (7.2). Interestingly, Tchouameni (34.9 percent) has a better success rate in presses than Kante (33.5 percent).

Kante makes more progressive carries (5.4) compared to Tchouameni’s 4.4. This might be due to the fact that the Chelsea man gets more of the ball by playing in a more possession-based side. Tchouameni is also alert, though he comes second best in this category, as he makes 11.3 recoveries per game (picking up loose balls). Kante makes 13.5. Tchouameni is just 21 years old, but he already knows how to conduct himself in a high pressing side to achieve the maximum effectiveness. This is encouraging, as he would need to keep up this work rate in a much more intense league, like the Premier League.

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