Liverpool and Manchester United are reportedly vying for the signature of 24-year-old Leicester City playmaker Youri Tielemans.
According to a report by Belgian publication Het Nieuwsblad, Youri Tielemans is set to become the subject of an intense transfer battle between two bitter Premier League rivals this summer transfer window. Liverpool and Manchester United are keen on signing the 24-year-old Belgian playmaker from Leicester City.
Tielemans is coming on the back of a productive 2020/21 campaign wherein he played a key role in Leicester City’s FA Cup triumph. The 24-year-old also impressed in the Premier League while playing as many as 51 games for the Foxes across all competitions, scoring 9 goals and providing 6 assists in the process.
Such was his impact that the Belgian international was named the Player of the Year for the former Premier League champions. However, following Leicester’s failure to clinch a top four finish for a second successive season, Tielemans has question marks surrounding his future at the King Power Stadium, with Manchester United and Liverpool interested in signing him.
Liverpool are set to dip their toes in the transfer market this summer due to the fact that Georginio Wijnaldum is departing Anfield as a free agent. The Dutchman’s impending move to Barcelona has made it imperative that the Reds sign a replacement, and for good reason, with Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain struggling to remain fit.
Jurgen Klopp is, therefore, left with Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, an ageing James Milner and the inexperienced Curtis Jones as the other options at his disposal, making Tielemans a viable target. Manchester United, on the other hand, could also do with a playmaker like him.
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Nemanja Matic could be leaving Manchester United this summer, with a reunion with Jose Mourinho at AS Roma being mooted. If the Serb does leave, United will need a replacement, with Tielemans being an option worth considering, seeing as the 24-year-old is adept at playing as a deep lying playmaker as adeptly as he does as a box-to-box midfielder.
However, Liverpool and Manchester United will both have a mountain to climb in order to prise Tielemans away from Leicester, with recent reports suggesting that he was ready to commit his long-term future to the Foxes. Leicester, on their part, are also likely to command a sizable transfer fee for the 24-year-old and it will be interesting to see if either of the Premier League giants can manage to land the Belgian.
