Unai Emery’s growing project at Aston Villa is set to receive reinforcements this summer after the club has officially agreed to terms for the free transfer of Belgian international midfielder Youri Tielemans.
The 26-year-old former RSC Anderlecht academy graduate arrives at Villa Park after a credible four-and-a-half season stint at Leicester City and is one of a handful of expected high-profile exits from the KP Stadium in the wake of relegation.
🚨 EXCL: Aston Villa have agreed a deal to sign Youri Tielemans. Doing medical before finalising contract. 26yo midfielder set to join as free agent after Leicester deal expired. #AVFC overcame plenty of competition for Belgium international @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/icWVeVNvqg
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) June 10, 2023
His departure from the former Premier League champions has long been expected, with Tielemans regularly linked with a move since last summer, but instead opted to allow his deal to run down during what was a heartbreaking 2022-23 campaign for Leicester, who failed to avoid the drop-down to the Championship despite boasting a senior squad that boasts a cadre of talent.
Tielemans joins a Villa side that defied all the odds upon the arrival of former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, with the highly-experienced Spanish manager guiding the club from 16th to 7th and securing Europa Conference League football in 2023-24.
The Belgian is just the first big name to no longer be associated with Leicester, with the club also expected to lose both James Maddison and Harvey Barnes at the very least, while there is scope to suggest that the likes of compatriot Timothy Castagne and Turkish international Çağlar Söyüncü could also follow in tow.
Aston Villa will now be able to add Tielemans to a credible midfield core that includes former Anderlecht club mate and current international colleague Leander Dendoncker, Boubacar Kamara, Douglas Luiz, Jacob Ramsey, and John McGinn, which could give Emery more than enough firepower to secure yet another European trophy.
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