New signing announced as ex-Toon target joins Premier League rivals - Bargain or bullet dodged?
Aston Villa have announced the free agent signing of Youri Tielemans, confirming an agreement that will see him become a Villa player when his Leicester contract expires on July 1st.
The Belgian international was linked with a move for St James' Park last summer, with Sky Sports revealing that we were discussing a deal for the midfielder leading up to deadline day.
Nothing came of it and the same happened in January, with The Athletic revealing that his 'excessive wage' demands scuppered any hopes of him arriving on Tyneside.
A few months on, he's let his contract run down at Leicester and will sign at Villa Park once that expires in a few weeks time, becoming Unai Emery's first arrival of the summer. A good player with bags of technical ability, but I wouldn't be surprised if Eddie Howe was put off by his lack of mobility and downing of tools during the Foxes limp relegation battle.
Aston Villa ended the season in 7th, securing Europa Conference League football. With Tielemans arriving on a 'free', he's expected to become one of their highest earners.
Club statement from Aston Villa:
Aston Villa is delighted to announce that the club has reached an agreement to sign Youri Tielemans.
The Belgian international will officially become a Villan on July 1 after his contract with Leicester City has expired.
Tielemans has played at the highest level throughout his career, with Anderlecht and Monaco among his former clubs, and he has most recently played in the Premier League at Leicester City, where his goal helped the Foxes win the FA Cup in 2021.
A regular for his country on the international stage, the 26-year-old has represented Belgium at World Cup tournaments in 2018 and 2022 and at UEFA Euro 2020.
