One of the premium midfielders of Belgian football, Youri Tielemans, has chosen his next club following the relegation of Leicester City
According to recent reports, former Monaco and Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans is all set to join Aston Villa on a Bosman transfer. The 26-year-old has agreed to personal terms with the Unai Emery managed side and is currently undergoing medical at Villa Park.
"Aston Villa have agreed a deal to sign Youri Tielemans.He is now undergoing a medical.(Via: The Athletic)"
In a turn of events, the highly sought-after Belgian international has been free to negotiate personal terms since January 2023, having turned down the new contract offered by Leicester City. With the football giants Manchester United and Arsenal expressing keen interest in securing the player’s exceptional skills, Tielemans kept his options open.
Arsenal is still catching up on their primary targets, such as Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice, whereas Manchester United is solving its ownership conundrum. This allowed Aston Villa to make the first move and secure his signature. The player will now sign a four-year deal with the Villa Park outfit after Unai Emery had a conversation with him.
Aston Villa are closing in on deal to sign Youri Tielemans, as first called today by @David_Ornstein. Verbal agreement in place 🚨🟣🔵 #AVFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 10, 2023
Understand Unai Emery called Youri in the last few days to accelerate talks — 4 year deal agreed, waiting on final details to get it done. pic.twitter.com/x1uaqvrGoJ
Youri Tielemans in 2022/23 season
Youri Tielemans spent 43 days on the sideline in the 2022/23 season owing to Torn Ankle Ligament, and this resulted in him missing seven crucial games for Leicester City, which cost them the Premier League spot. In the 31 Premier League fixtures, the player had five G/A to his name.
Tielemans demonstrated remarkable precision with his passing, boasting an impressive success rate of 80.3%, surpassing his career average of 79.6%. Additionally, he excelled in his role as a creator, registering an outstanding 6.5 key passes per 90 minutes—an all-time high in his English top-flight journey.
Noteworthy defensive prowess was also a part of Tielemans’ repertoire, as evidenced by his average of 1.08 interceptions per 90 minutes, coupled with 1.35 blocks per game in the fiercely competitive English Premier League.
(Stats via fbref)
Aston Villa have sealed a bargain with a free transfer of Youri Tielemans ahead of their season, where they play in Europe as well. It remains interesting to see how Youri will fit into Unai Emery’s plans.