Youri Tielemans, Belgian midfielder became Leicester City’s record signing in 2019 summer, joining for a reported £40million after impressing on loan during the second half of last year. However, he has now revealed that the plan was initially for him to return to Monaco.
Youri Tielemans said “The initial plan was that I would go back to Monaco after that loan, but because things went so well here, I stayed. The project appealed to me.The transfer fee itself is not important to me. I knew that Leicester wanted to keep me very much. The coach and the club had made that clear to me. Just like they emphasised that Leicester wanted to mix with the big teams again. That it hoped to force European football again. It’s all kinds of things. We have a very good coach, experienced players and young players who are hungry to learn and get better. It’s the perfect mix in a family environment. Leicester also has that image to the outside world, but it’s only when you play here that you feel how hard this club is connected.”
Tielemans has been so impressive this season that many pundits have claimed Leicester got a bargain, despite the significant fee. In October, Phil Neville described the transfer as “an absolute steal.”