Aston Villa are determined to keep their key players at the club in the summer transfer window but they will know that Youri Tielemans has admirers.
Villa signed Tielemans from relegated Leicester City on a free transfer in 2023. After a relatively slow start, he started to show what he could do and gradually became one of the first names on the teamsheet for Villa manager Unai Emery.
The manager’s faith paid off in 2024/25 when Tielemans played more minutes than any other outfield player for Villa and was pivotal in the team’s run to the Champions League quarter-finals and a sixth-placed finish in the league.
He scored five times and claimed ten assists in 53 matches in all competitions.
Unsurprisingly, Tielemans’ future has been subject to speculation this summer. One team credited with an interest is Juventus, who plan to offload the Belgian’s former teammate, Douglas Luiz, after a dreadful season in Turin.
The Bianconeri have already excluded Luiz from Igor Tudor’s plans and he has been linked with a Premier League return with Nottingham Forest or Everton this summer. Tielemans would be seen as an ideal successor, according to reports.
The Brazilian has also been mentioned in terms of an interest from Villa in a reunion but the exit of Jacob Ramsey this week should put paid to any idea of Tielemans leaving Villa Park and, consequently, to any faint notion of Luiz coming back to Birmingham.
There’s also been a wildcard shout from a respected journalist, who believes that Tielemans should have been the replacement for Toni Kroos when the Real Madrid midfielder retired last year. Without the German, Los Blancos fell short in every competition and endured a relatively rare trophyless campaign.
Belgian broadcaster Filip Joos thinks they should have armed Carlo Ancelotti with Tielemans to give Real Madrid a better chance at glory.
“I keep saying it,” he said again. “If Real Madrid had signed him when Toni Kroos left, a lot (of issues) would have been resolved.
“I think he’s a fantastic player. What strikes me every time is how much he can do, how much power he has. Not just in going deep, but also in defending. He’s become a total midfielder.”
Fortunately for Villa, that ship has sailed and, if widespread reports are accurate, a new contract offer is likelier this summer than an exit for the 28-year-old.
Villa begin their Premier League season against Newcastle United on Saturday and you can follow the build-up with Matchday LIVE.
The post Aston Villa transfer update as journalist says European giants should sign ‘fantastic’ midfielder appeared first on AVillaFan.com – Aston Villa Fan Site.
