The transfer rumour mill in Madrid has taken a significant turn. All summer long, Eduardo Camavinga’s name was the one doing the rounds as a potential departure from the Santiago Bernabéu — but according to a fresh insider claim, the Frenchman who is actually closer to the exit door is his international teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni.
What Happened
Real Madrid insider Jorge C Picón, speaking at a media appearance this week and cited by Fichajes, dropped a pretty significant piece of intel about how the club views its midfield options heading into the transfer market. His words were direct: “They keep telling me that if a good offer comes in for Tchouaméni, it’s a sale. The person who told me this believes they would sell Tchouaméni before Camavinga. In a meeting last year, when Real Madrid considered Rodri’s arrival a done deal, it was said that they had to find a way to offload Tchouaméni.”
That’s a notable shift in the narrative. Camavinga spent much of the summer window as the headline name, with widespread speculation swirling around the capital that the former Rennes midfielder could be moved on for the right price. In the end, he stayed — and has since been working to reclaim a regular starting berth under new head coach José Mourinho. It now appears the club’s hierarchy have a very different player in mind when they think about trimming the midfield roster.
What It Means for Real Madrid
This report raises some genuinely interesting questions about how Madrid see their midfield evolving under Mourinho. Tchouaméni arrived at the Bernabéu in the summer of 2022 in a deal worth around €80 million — a significant outlay that reflected just how highly regarded he was at the time. He has had his moments in a Madrid shirt, but has also struggled to nail down an undisputed starting role, particularly with competition stiff across the engine room.
The reference to Rodri is equally telling. The Manchester City midfielder has long been considered one of the best holding midfielders on the planet, and the suggestion that Madrid viewed a potential Rodri signing as near-certain enough to actively plan Tchouaméni’s exit tells you something about how the Frenchman is rated internally — or at least how flexible the club considers his situation to be.
For Camavinga, by contrast, this reporting represents something of a vote of confidence from the Bernabéu boardroom. ‘Cama’ has always been a fan favourite — explosive, dynamic, and capable of moments of individual brilliance that get the crowd off their seats. The fact that Madrid would sooner sell Tchouaméni than him signals the club still believes in his long-term value to the project, especially as he continues to mature into what many believe could be one of Europe’s elite midfielders.
From a purely tactical standpoint, Mourinho has historically preferred midfields built on hard work, discipline, and positional intelligence. Both Camavinga and Tchouaméni offer defensive solidity, but Camavinga’s ability to carry the ball and arrive late into attacking positions may give him an edge in terms of fitting the kind of fluid, counter-attacking football the Portuguese manager has favoured throughout his career.
What’s Next
It’s worth stressing that nothing is imminent here — Picón’s comments are based on internal conversations rather than any concrete offer or negotiation. The January window would be the next realistic opportunity for any movement, though major midfield sales in the middle of a season are rarely straightforward.
Madridistas will want to keep an eye on Tchouaméni’s playing time under Mourinho as the season progresses. If the minutes dry up, it could accelerate the timeline. For now though, the key takeaway is clear: if your name is Camavinga, you can breathe a little easier. If it’s Tchouaméni, the road ahead at the Bernabéu may be shorter than it once seemed.
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