Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly opened negotiations with the representatives of Youri Tielemans over the possibility of a summer move.
AS Monaco midfielder Youri Tielemans could be headed for a permanent switch to the Premier League this summer, as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have shown interest in signing him up. Both the clubs have already held talks with his agent exploring the possibility of a switch, Belgian journalist Kristof Terreur has claimed on Sky Sports’ Transfer Talk Podcast (h/t Mirror).
Tielemans has been regarded as one of the most talented young midfielders across Europe since he burst onto the scenes at Belgian outfit Anderlecht at a very young age. The 22-year-old earned his big move to Monaco in 2017, but things did not go according to plans in France, which led to him joining Premier League outfit Leicester City on loan in January earlier this year.
In his brief stay with Leicester, Tielemans managed to make a great impact, ending the season with 3 goals and 5 assists from just 13 Premier League outings, prompting the Foxes to consider signing him on a permanent deal. However, Brendan Rodgers’ side will now have to battle with Manchester United and Tottenham to capture the Belgian.
Manchester United endured a forgettable campaign that ended with them missing out on qualification for the Champions League. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is eyeing a major squad overhaul ahead of the next season, with the midfield department being an area of concern for the Red Devils.
Ander Herrera will be leaving the club once his contract runs out, while question marks continue to remain over the future of Paul Pogba, who is a target for Real Madrid. With Fred underperforming last season, Manchester United will need to strengthen the midfield engine room if they are to push for a place in the top four next term, leading to their interest in Tielemans.
Tottenham, on the other hand, have had a memorable campaign that has seen them finish in the top four once again, while also making it all the way to the Champions League final. What makes it even more impressive is that the North Londoners did not sign a single player over the last two transfer windows.
However, with the move to the new stadium now complete, Mauricio Pochettino’s side are expected to dip their toes in the transfer market this summer, with midfield reinforcements likely to be a priority, amid uncertainties surrounding the future of Christian Eriksen.
Now, both Manchester United and Tottenham have made contact with Tielemans’ agent in order to gauge the possibility of a transfer, according to Terreur. “There have been talks. The agent’s had talks with Spurs and Man United about him. Not sure he’s the first choice at both clubs either. Monaco, they want to sell him and get rid of him,” he told the Sky Sports Podcast.
With Monaco keen on getting rid of him and a number of Premier League clubs interested, Tielemans could be set to move to England on a permanent basis. It now remains to be seen if he ends up at Manchester United or Tottenham, or if Leicester are able to beat them to the punch.
