"Luxury, calm and voluptuousness": Charles Baudelaire's formula perfectly suits the young nugget from Monaco, providential scorer in Marseille.

International since September only, he is already promised a bright future, in club as in the France team where he offers Didier Deschamps one more great option.

The coach of the Blues threw him into the deep end at the start of the school year, in the absence of Corentin Tolisso and N'Golo Kanté, injured, and the player trained in Bordeaux has not left the Blues since, gleaning time from game and tenures over the months.

The imposing midfielder, "not there to do extraordinary things", as he explained after his first appearance against Bosnia (1-1), has made his presence in the workforce of world champions, something 'ordinary.

Aurélien Tchouameni scores the winning goal against Côte d'Ivoire in a friendly match in Marseille on March 25, 2022 NICOLAS TUCAT AFP

"Aurélien is of the highest level. He has enormous potential with a lot of control", greeted Deschamps after his complete match against Côte d'Ivoire, Friday in Marseille, concluded with a victorious goal from the head in additional time.

"I try to stay calm"

The hero of the evening remained sober in front of the camera, as on the ground earlier.

"It's just the fruit of the work, I try to stay calm. There is the team and the staff who help me a lot to show my personality and that's what makes me feel great on the pitch. good".

At the Vélodrome, where he compiled high-flying statistics (94% successful passes, 12 duels won, 9 balls won), Tchouaméni helped stabilize a defense sometimes overwhelmed by the Ivorians, with calm and efficiency at all times. , leaving more to his buddy Paul Pogba to guide the game forward.

Ivorian striker Nicolas Pépé in the fight with Aurélien Tchouameni and Paul Pogba in a friendly match on March 25, 2022 in Marseille FRANCK FIFE AFP

The two midfielders extended the complicity displayed outside on the lawn, after the Mancunian described his youngest as "my twin, my mini-me", when they arrived together Monday at Clairefontaine.

"With Paul, it's a pair," remarked Deschamps after the friendly won on Friday.

"Aurélien has this capacity in aggressiveness and recovery which is a little superior" to the Red Devil, which is "worn a little more forward".

Return of Kante

Tchouaméni, who has often presented Pogba as a model, has a "large volume of play in the midfield and the fact of playing in doublet with Paul is in the continuity of the League of Nations", noted for his part the captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, marked by the "personality" and "enormous potential" of his young partner.

"This young generation brings its energy, its talent", added the Tottenham goalkeeper, including the Marseillais Mattéo Guendouzi (also 22 years old), decisive passer for Tchouaméni on a corner quarter of an hour after his entry into play.

Aurélien Tchouaméni after his goal against Côte d'Ivoire, next to Mattéo Guendouzi, the decisive passer, on March 25, 2022 in Marseille FRANCK FIFE AFP

Before the second friendly against South Africa, Tuesday in Lille, the providential striker has eight selections, including now half as a holder.

It's twice his number of caps with the Espoirs, where he spent briefly before taking the plunge.

Already brilliant in the final of the League of Nations, in October against Spain (2-1), Tchouaméni could however find the bench of substitutes at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium where the usual holder N'Golo Kanté is applying for a place in the starting eleven.

The Chelsea world champion left the selection for a few days for a personal concern but he "will be there to prepare for Tuesday's match" according to Deschamps.

With Pogba, Tchouaméni, Kanté, Guendouzi and Adrien Rabiot, the coach has rich problems in the midfield.

© 2022 AFP