Aurelien Tchouameni admits he's found things 'tough' since rejecting Liverpool for Real Madrid

Former Liverpool target Aurelien Tchouameni has revealed that he has found things 'tough' since his big money move to Real Madrid last summer.

The French midfielder switched Monaco for Madrid when he joined the La Liga giants for a fee believed to be in the region of €80million (£70million).

But despite joining as one of the hottest young prospects on the planet, the 23-year-old has struggled to nail down a regular starting spot in Carlo Ancelotti's side this season.

Tchouameni has spoken out on his situation in Madrid, stating that he has had endured "tough moments" for the first time in his career but insisted that he is still confident in his own abilities.

As per football.fr, Tchouameni said: "I’m confident, I know what I can do. There can be tough moments in an athlete’s career, it’s the first time it has happened to me but I'm still learning. There is a lot of competition at Real Madrid & you need to be good to play.”

"The first to come forward was Liverpool"

Things could've turned out differently for Tchouameni, after he revealed that he turned down a move to the Premier League prior to signing for Real Madrid.

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool were keen on securing the Frenchman's signature as they looked to bolster their midfield pack, however despite admitting that Reds were the first club to register an interest, the former Monaco man stated that "he didn't hesitate for a second" when Real Madrid came calling.

Speaking to Le Parisien in November, Tchouameni said: “The first to come forward was Liverpool, we had discussions. Then Real arrived.

"“It’s the biggest club in the world. If you want to accomplish great things, to mark the history of your sport, there is no better.

“So I didn’t hesitate for a second. I told my agent: as long as there is interest, we do everything to go there.

“I was already convinced. When Paris showed up, my choice was already made, even if I was happy to be approached by PSG.”