Real Madrid are reportedly interested in signing Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans, with manager Carlo Ancelotti endorsing the Belgian international.
According to a report from Catalan publication El Nacional, Real Madrid are eyeing a swoop for Leicester City’s Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans at the behest of manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Tielemans came through the youth ranks at RSC Anderlecht and went on to become one of the most sought-after youngsters in Europe, having grown into the club captain for the Belgians in his teens. AS Monaco snapped him up in 2017, where he enjoyed a fruitful 18 months before signing for Leicester City in January 2019.
Having initially arrived on loan, Tielemans made quite the splash in the Premier League, prompting the Foxes to sign him permanently. Since then, the 24-year-old has been one of Leicester’s top performers, going on to make 117 appearances in which he has scored 18 goals and set up 21 more. He scored the only goal of the game in the FA Cup final vs Chelsea last term to lead Leicester to silverware.
Capped 45 times by the Belgian national team, Tielemans attracted plenty of interest during the summer transfer window from a plethora of top clubs in England and across Europe. However, he ended up staying put at the King Power. But with his contract running out in 2023, things may change come summer next year and Real Madrid are ready to pounce.
Real Madrid reinforced their midfield with the signing of Eduardo Camavinga this past summer, but will need to add another new face to the department in the near future as Luka Modric is in the twilight of his career. With Toni Kroos also in his thirties and having fitness issues this season, it is time for Los Blancos to start planning for the future.
A move for AS Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini has been mooted of late while Florian Neuhaus of Borussia Monchengladbach is also on the radars of the club. However, Tielemans has now emerged as a transfer target for the Merengues with Ancelotti said to be pushing for the Belgian’s signing after having watched the midfielder up close during his stint as the manager of Everton.
Leicester City, for their part, see Tielemans as a key player and will demand at least €60 million for his signing, as per the report. It remains to be seen if Real Madrid are willing to splash that amount on the 24-year-old or look at cheaper alternatives to bolster their midfield unit.