Real Madrid of La Liga have acquired 22-year-old French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco of Ligue 1, the Spanish club announced on Saturday.

Having signed a six-year contract with Tchouameni, Real will pay as much as 80 million euros (about $84.2 million) to Monaco to bring the young genius to the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, according to Marca.

It's the fourth-most expensive transfer in team history of Real, following only that of Gareth Bale (101 million euros, about $106.3 million), Eden Hazard (100 million euros, about $105.2 million) and Cristiano Ronaldo (96 million euros, about $101 million).

The transfer also includes different add-ons related to Tchouameni's performance. The final transfer fee can reach as high as 100 million euros (about $105.2 million).

Having made 35 appearances for Monaco in Ligue 1 last season, he got 101 interceptions, more than anyone else, and made 86 tackles, the fourth-most in the French top division. Though he does not score a pile of goals for the team, the incredible performance of N'Golo Kante for the French national team at the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and for Chelsea in the 2020-21 season proved how integral a solid defender in the midfield is to a powerhouse.

Tchouameni is expected by many to act like a combination of Kante, Paul Pogba and Sergio Ramos. He will join his compatriot, 19-year-old Eduardo Camavinga, as the expected future aces of Real in the midfield.

Real failed to introduce their long-term target Kylian Mbappe, who decided to remain in Paris Saint-Germain for another three years. Though Real won both the La Liga championship and the UEFA Champions League title this season, their midfield combination has aged: Luka Modric (36 years old), Toni Kroos (32 years old) and Casemiro (30 years old).

Real, Manchester City and Liverpool have already declared the beginning of arm race on the European football transfer market for the summer window with blockbuster transfers. More big deals will come, for sure.