Premier League club Leicester City are reportedly confident of sealing a £40 million deal to sign Manchester United and Tottenham target Youri Tielemans.
Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that his side are closing on the permanent capture of Youri Tielemans in the summer amid interest from Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur – as reported by The Sun.
The Belgian international has impressed in the Premier League after joining Leicester City on a six-month loan deal in January. As a result, the Foxes are keen to secure his services on a permanent basis, but reportedly could face stiff competition, with both Manchester United and Tottenham interested in the midfielder as well.
However, Rodgers has recently told The Sun that talks are ongoing between Leicester and AS Monaco regarding the potential signing of Tielemans, who could cost around £40 million.
“The work is ongoing. Of course there is a hole in terms of the Head of Recruitment role. However work has been going on below that and conversations with Monaco are taking place. There are a lot of good people behind the scenes who are continuing the work.”
This could be a huge blow for Manchester United as well as Tottenham Hotspur, both of whom are on the lookout for midfield reinforcements in the summer.
Growing in stature. (Photo by Virgine Lefour/AFP/Getty Images)
Spurs, in particular, have struggled a lot following the departure of star midfielder Mousa Dembele in January, which is coupled with Eric Dier’s injury problems. As a result, coach Mauricio Pochettino has had to rely on the services of Moussa Sissoko and the young Harry Winks. Therefore, signing someone like Tielemans could have helped them revamp their midfield department next season.
Manchester United, on the other hand, have relied on Paul Pogba as far as the midfield department is concerned. The Frenchman has shown tremendous work ethic and commitment under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but lack of consistency from the likes of Nemanja Matic and Fred means the Red Devils are in desperate need of midfield reinforcements if they are to challenge for the title next season.
Additionally, with both Herrera and Pogba linked with a summer departure from Old Trafford, a move for Tielemans would have made sense.
As for Leicester City, the permanent addition of Tielemans will definitely bring more stability in midfield next season. The Foxes have evidently struggled when deploying both Wilfred Ndidi and Nampalys Mendy in the double-pivot during the first half of the campaign.
But, the Belgian international has managed to offer more dynamism and composure in the Leicester midfield this year, which has also allowed James Maddison to be more expressive in the final third. Therefore, he is certainly a viable target for the Foxes.
From a financial perspective, however, spending £40 million on Tielemans will make him the most expensive signing in the Premier League club’s history, although it’s a risk Leicester City should definitely take as they aim for a higher placed finish in the league next season.
