"Florentino asked me about Tchouameni before signing him"

France have had many football legends and Claude Makelele is undoubtedly one of them. In an interview with 'AS', the Frenchman spoke about his career as a footballer.

"I was preparing my retirement. I anticipated it. Nobody should push you to leave football. That is traumatic. If you have strength and sacrifice, you can play until you're 40. But if someone decides to stop you, it's complicated to move on to another life. I stopped when I decided it."

He did not hesitate to assess the signing of Tchouameni by Madrid: "When he was about to sign, I spoke to Florentino. He wanted to know about the player. Chelsea were also interested in him. But if Madrid want you, you have to go because it's the best way to be an important player.

"He is a very good player. He has that double quality, being good in midfield and knowing how to attack. However, to be at Madrid's level, you need a strong personality in the way that Modric has. He has to learn from those around him," Makelele added.

The former Chelsea player talked about Casemiro's departure just after the arrival of his compatriot: "Tchouameni would have learnt more quickly alongside him."

"The most important thing is that they understand each other. They have to share the workload like Modric and Kroos have done for so long," he said of the possibility that Tchouameni and Camavinga could play together.

Makelele also spoke about Mbappe and the day he met him: "I was the Monaco manager when he was in the academy. His family wanted him to train with the first team but he also had a strong character. He wasn't afraid to say the things he wanted to," he concluded.