Leicester City will offer influential midfielder Youri Tielemans an improved contract as they look to reward one of their stars of the season and fend off interest from rival clubs. Tielemans, City’s record signing, has been in terrific form of late and captained the club for the first time last month, leading out his team-mates for the 3-1 win over Brentford in the FA Cup. The Belgian international has two-and-a-half years remaining on the four-year contract he signed when he joined in a £32m switch from Monaco and City manager Brendan Rodgers has said he would be very keen for Tielemans to be offered new terms. That may then ward off potential suitors for the 23-year-old, who attracted interest from Manchester United and from around Europe before joining moving to the King Power Stadium in summer 2019, City successfully convincing Tielemans to sign permanently after his initial loan spell showed his ability.
Tielemans’ classy displays this season have helped him catch the eye again, and in December his agent Peter Smeets said: “Youri has his own dreams. He wants to win prizes, and you usually win them at a top club. There is a lot of interest in him, but the question is which clubs are interesting for him.”
Tielemans’ classy displays this season have helped him catch the eye again, and in December his agent Peter Smeets said: “Youri has his own dreams. He wants to win prizes, and you usually win them at a top club. There is a lot of interest in him, but the question is which clubs are interesting for him.”Rodgers will hope the only club that interests him is City.
Brendan Rodgers said on Friday: “I’d be very keen, we would obviously love to extend his time here. He’s been able to come in and over the last couple of seasons he’s shown the qualities and the improvements he’s been able to make. He’s a really, really important player. He’s a joy to work with, he has incredible maturity for a young guy, and you can see the consistency in his performances. He’s got a couple of years left (on his contract) in the summer, and I know it’s something the club will speak to him and his representatives about. With the ball, he has quality. His decision-making is so good, whether to play it first time, or whether to dribble with it into space. But also his communication, you have heard him talking throughout. His game management is so good. He’s been outstanding for us all year. At 23 years of age, to play with that level of understanding of the game and quality, I’m very happy he’s in my team.”
And it seems like Tielemans is very happy to be in it. The Belgian said upon arriving in Leicester that he preferred the family feel of the city to the glitz and glamour of Monaco, and it seems that opinion hasn’t changed.
Youri Tielemans said last month: “It’s very special. I think Leicester is really a family club where everyone is close to each other and you feel the love of everyone here. When I came, I just felt it, that’s why I said it, and I still feel it. It’s very special here, especially now with the new training ground, we can improve ourselves even more.”
Tielemans has played 29 games in all competitions for City this season, scoring six goals and providing three assists. Only James Justin has played more minutes for the club.
