Real Madrid has announced the signing of highly rated France midfielder Aurelien iTchouamen from AS Monaco on a six-year deal.

After beating out competition from European competitors to sign Tchouameni, 22, the Champions League winners have agreed to pay a transfer price of roughly €80 million.

The midfielder will undergo his medical at the club on Tuesday, which will be followed by a news conference.

Tchouameni was the standout contender when Real Madrid announced in January that they were looking for ways to reinvigorate their midfield. Juni Calafat, Madrid’s head scout, traveled to Monaco that month to lay the groundwork for a future transfer.

While Madrid had reached an agreement with the player, their transaction with Monaco was stalled due to Spain’s categorization of Monaco as a tax haven, requiring the Ligue 1 club to pay a 24 percent tax on the transfer’s revenues.

Carlo Ancelotti wants to recruit a new defensive midfielder as soon as possible, and Tchouameni was the frontrunner over Ajax’s .Ryan Gravenberch

Los Blancos are looking to bolster their midfield, and Tchouameni believes he has what it takes to “become the defensive midfielder of the future.”

Tchouameni scored three goals in 35 league games for Monaco last season, as they finished third behind PSG and Marseille.

He has now made ten appearances for France, and manager Didier Deschamps has added him to the squad for the next Nations League games against Denmark, Croatia, and Austria.