Real Madrid have reportedly joined Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham in the race to sign Youri Tielemans. The Leicester City midfielder has been subject to a flurry on interest this season amid his uncertain future at the King Power Stadium.
The Belgium international has featured 45 times for Brendan Rodgers' side this season, directly contributing towards 11 goals from the heart of midfield. Tielemans has guided Leicester to within touching distance of the UEFA Conference League final, with impressive displays against PSV Eindhoven and AS Roma.
He sees his contract with the Foxes expire at the end of next season, making him available for a cut-price fee in the meantime. The 24-year-old 'turned down' a contract offer from Leicester in February, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano via his YouTube channel.
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“Youri Tielemans has definitely decided not to sign a new deal with Leicester, they’ve been offering him a new contract for a long time," he said. "They’re pushing the player to sign a new contract to extend for many years and stay at Leicester for a long time but from what I understand, Tielemans has decided to turn down the proposal to extend the contract."
"So Tielemans will continue at top level for Leicester," Romano added, when delving into what the future holds for the Belgian. "But the decision is not to sign a new contract because Youri Tielemans will have many opportunities in the summer of 2022.”
According to Spanish newspaper AS, the Belgian could cost potential suitors anywhere between £33.6million and £50.4million this summer. Though with Manchester City and Liverpool credited with interest in Tielemans too, naturally, a bidding frenzy could drive the price.
However, Real Madrid's interest in the midfielder could inadvertently hand Chelsea a boost in securing the services of Aurelien Tchouameni. The 22-year-old was on the Blues' transfer shopping list in the summer but the board opted against signing him because they felt as if the he could've done with another 12 months of development, as per The Athletic. football.london understands that Chelsea have spent more time keeping an eye on Tchouameni than any other club.
