Aurelien Tchouaméni, who has become an essential player for Real Madrid since his €80 million move from AS Monaco in 2022, was once a player that Barcelona closely monitored. However, despite this interest, the Catalan club ultimately decided not to pursue the young French midfielder, a decision that has raised eyebrows in hindsight. The reason for Barcelona’s rejection of Tchouaméni lies in a scouting report prepared by Bojan Krkic Sr., the father of former Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic, who held a key role in the club’s scouting department at the time.
Barcelona’s Initial Interest in Tchouaméni
When Tchouaméni was making waves in Ligue 1 with Monaco, his performances quickly attracted the attention of top European clubs, including Barcelona. The midfielder’s physical attributes and powerful presence on the field caught the eye of many, and it seemed like a matter of time before one of Europe’s biggest clubs secured his signature. However, as history shows, it was Real Madrid who eventually made the move.
Before that, Barcelona was seriously considering him. Bojan Krkic Sr., a seasoned scout who spent over a decade evaluating players for Barcelona, was tasked with analyzing Tchouaméni’s potential as a future signing. Bojan Sr. attended several of the Frenchman’s matches, including key games against Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille, to assess his qualities in competitive settings.
The Scouting Report
Reflecting on his evaluation of Tchouaméni, Bojan Sr. provided a candid analysis of the young player. While he acknowledged that Tchouaméni possessed certain strong attributes, such as his physical power, ability to impose himself in midfield, and aggressive marking, he also pointed out a significant weakness: a lack of creativity.
“In my reports, I always put the same thing: he has power, strength, aggressiveness in marking, even excessive, but creativity; little,” Bojan Sr. said in an interview with Mundo Deportivo. His assessment made it clear that, while Tchouaméni was an effective defensive midfielder with a tenacious playing style, he did not fit the profile of a player that Barcelona typically sought—one with exceptional creative vision and flair in the midfield.
Bojan Sr. concluded that Tchouaméni lacked the technical and imaginative qualities required to thrive in Barcelona’s possession-based style of play, which is heavily reliant on creativity and vision in midfield. His decision not to recommend the signing was rooted in this evaluation, with Bojan Sr. noting that Tchouaméni’s style of play might not align with the “big club” status that Barcelona was aiming to maintain.
A Risky Decision in Hindsight
At the time, Tchouaméni was seen as one of the most promising young midfielders in Europe, and many top clubs had identified him as a potential future star. However, Barcelona’s scouting team felt that his limitations in the creative department made him an unsuitable candidate for a club with a footballing philosophy that places such high importance on technical and tactical ingenuity.
The decision not to pursue Tchouaméni is a clear example of the subjective nature of scouting and how the evaluation of a player’s skillset can vary from one club to another. While Tchouaméni’s style did not fit Barcelona’s vision, it perfectly aligned with Real Madrid’s, who saw in him a robust, defensively-minded midfielder capable of bolstering their midfield for years to come. Since joining Madrid, Tchouaméni has proven his worth, becoming an integral part of their midfield and developing into one of the top young talents in European football.
This story highlights just how unpredictable and complex the world of football scouting can be. A player like Tchouaméni, who might not have been considered a perfect fit for Barcelona, went on to become a key player for their bitter rivals. This also underscores the ever-changing landscape of football talent, where a single decision can lead to vastly different career trajectories.
Bojan Krkic Sr.’s Perspective
Bojan Krkic Sr. did not shy away from sharing his reasoning for not recommending Tchouaméni. Reflecting on the decision, he stated, “He was not for a big club. I didn’t like him.” It’s important to note that Bojan Sr. wasn’t dismissing Tchouaméni’s potential entirely—he merely felt that his style of play did not meet the criteria Barcelona required at the time.
The decision to reject Tchouaméni was, in many ways, a reflection of the type of football Barcelona prided itself on at the time. The club had, and continues to have, a distinct philosophy centered around the possession game, a style that demands a high level of creativity from its midfielders. Tchouaméni, with his more direct, physical, and defensively-focused game, did not meet those requirements.
The Subjectivity of Scouting
The case of Tchouaméni also serves as a reminder of the subjective nature of football scouting. The decisions made by scouts and technical staff can be influenced by a variety of factors, including the tactical needs of a team, the club’s playing style, and even personal preferences. In this case, Bojan Sr.’s decision was based on his belief that Tchouaméni’s skillset did not align with the direction Barcelona was heading at the time.
However, as we now know, Tchouaméni’s career trajectory at Real Madrid has proven that sometimes, players may evolve in ways that defy initial assessments. He has developed into one of the most highly regarded midfielders in La Liga and a key player for both club and country. This illustrates that even well-reasoned scouting reports can sometimes miss the mark, as players mature, adapt, and reach levels that may not have been anticipated earlier in their careers.
Conclusion
Aurelien Tchouaméni’s story is a fascinating example of the intricacies involved in player scouting and the unpredictability of football careers. Despite being deemed unsuitable for Barcelona by Bojan Krkic Sr., Tchouaméni’s move to Real Madrid and subsequent rise to prominence serves as a testament to his adaptability and growth as a player. The decision by Barcelona, while in line with their scouting philosophy at the time, now serves as a reminder of how scouting reports, no matter how detailed, cannot always predict the future trajectory of a player’s career. In football, as in life, surprises are always around the corner.
