Didn't see anything about him to suggest he can hold his own if you pair him with Bruno and Pogba. Didn't play like a natural dm too. Was kind of allover the place
This is what I see too. The guy is good, but the ball does get past him and then he has to make a last minute tackle aswell which he is good at.
The tackles are good but I'm not sure if that makes him a CDM. He seems more a CM to me.
Kind of how Fred can press up the pitch, how players can get past Fred but then Fred "should" do something about it but doesn't. Tchouameni can. He kind of has to press up the pitch and down the pitch to work.
However, I don't necessarily see him as the sole shielding type CDM that I view Rice to be. When I watch Rice, even if he is in a double pivot with Soucek, soucek can be in the other end of the pitch and Rice is bang there in front of the defence as he always is.
Whether people rate him or not - it's why I believe Ole will go for him if Pogba stays, because he will stay where is required, and let the others do their thing.
I'd rather see Tchouameni as a replacement for Fred if Ole things that Fred is not good enough.