By Youri Tielemans, a player for Belgium, has officially signed a free transfer to Aston Villa after his contract with Leicester City expired at the end of the previous campaign. The skilled midfielder joined King Power Stadium in 2019 on a loan from Monaco and played five seasons there.
Tielemans played 31 times for Leicester City during the previous Premier League season, as they came up just short of qualifying for Europe and were relegated on the last day of the regular season. Since Leicester City faltered in the transfer market last summer, preventing manager Brendan Rodgers from considerably bolstering the team, the 26-year-old’s exit has been probable.
Tielemans has been linked to Manchester United several times in recent years, with manager Erik Ten Hag considering him as a fallback option if the team weren’t able to acquire Frenkie de Jong in the summer of 2016. Unai Emery was successful in convincing Tielemans to join his project at Aston Villa despite continuous rumours during the season tying him to Old Trafford.
The midfielder was met in Belgium by Villa boss Emery, who also spoke with him about the crucial role he would play in the team’s future. Tielemans was influenced by the Spaniard’s leadership and vision, which is what made him decide to go to Villa Park as his next stop. Tielemans voiced his respect for Emery in an interview after his arrival, saying,
To be honest, when I had a few chats with the manager, his ambition, his passion, and also the way he led the team impressed me and made me decide to come to Aston Villa.”
Under Emery’s direction, Aston Villa will now want to build on their previous accomplishments in the 2019 campaign, and Tielemans is anticipated to play a significant role in their midfield unit.
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