Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans has spoken out about reports linking him to a move away from the King Power stadium in the summer.
The Belgian, whose Foxes contract expires in the summer of 2023, is a reported target of Manchester United and Arsenal. Leicester want to renew his contract but have made no headway in discussions with the player and his representatives.
The coming months are the only opportunity which the Foxes have to sign him to a new deal with the view of getting a significant transfer fee for the 24-year-old midfielder, should he choose to leave the club in the summer.
Tielemans has now come out to address those links, describing them sarcastically as ‘amazing’ and saying that there have been no contact with any other clubs regarding a move away from the King Power.
He also says that he is only focused on helping Leicester City finish strongly this season in the Premier League and the UEFA European Conference League.
“I try not to think about it much and focus on my own performance, it works well. But it’s actually amazing how much they talk about my future,” the 24-year-old said in an interview with Belgian outlet Het Beland van Limburg.
“Every day they name a different club.
“I have the feeling that people think that after this season I will be out of contract, when I still have one year left. I feel good here, I like living here, my children go to school here. I am happy both outside and inside football. And Leicester have ambition.”
Tielemans remaining calm despite contract situation
A lot of news is making the rounds about the former RSC Anderlecht midfielder’s contract. Asides links to Man United and Arsenal, the midfielder is also said to hold the interest of Manchester City and Real Madrid.
All of them stem from his contract situation at Leicester, which is an emergency for the club. The midfielder, however, is remaining calm in the midst of all the buzz.
“I am very calm about that. My contract expires in 2023 and it’s not that I absolutely want to leave,” he added. “I haven’t made my decision yet. If I have to stay another year, I will gladly do so.
“The club has been really great towards me. They remain very professional, just like me. That will not change.”
The midfielder also denied rejecting Leicester’s advances to renew his contract.
“There are talks between the club and my Let’s Play advisors. That will remain so. It’s not that I’m ignoring the club. I will study my options in the summer and make a decision,” Tielemans said.
“My family is the most important to me. I’m not going somewhere where I know my family isn’t happy. As a father of two children, you have to think about that too.”
Wesley Fofana makes goalscoring return after seven months injury layoff
Elsewhere, Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana, has returned to action for the Foxes after seven months out of action, scoring on his return to the starting line up.
The defender, fully recovered from a broken leg, was included in Leicester’s European Conference League squad for the second leg of their round of 16 tie against Stade Rennais on Thursday.
While the Foxes lost the tie 2-1, Fofana’s goal helped them win the fixture 3-2 on aggregate to progress to the quarter finals of the tournament.
The 21-year-old central defender Fofana, playing for the first time since breaking his leg against Villarreal in August, glanced in a header from Ademola Lookman’s corner to equalise for the Foxes after they went down in the eighth minute of the tie.
Rodgers said of the returning Fofana after the match: “Wesley is an amazing player. That’s what top players do, they come in – he’s only been back in training a few weeks – and they want to go and head it.
“That’s something we’ve really missed a lot of the season. Someone with that mentality – and that’s a top player’s mentality. He’s such a massive prospect.”
