Youri Tielemans Signs For Leicester City On A Permanent Deal

- Youri Tielemans joins Leicester City on a permanent deal
- The 22-year-old has signed a four-year contract with the Club
- Tielemans spent the second half of last season on loan with the Foxes
- He scored three goals and contributed four assists in 13 appearances

The 22-year-old has signed a four-year deal after a highly impressive loan spell with the Foxes during the second half of last season and becomes the third arrival of the summer after James Justin and Ayoze Pérez.

The talented Belgium international has represented his country 23 times, including at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. 

He has also made over 250 senior appearances in the top divisions of Belgium, France and England and is widely considered to be of the most exciting young talents in European football.

His brilliant Premier League performances in 2018/19 – which saw him score three goals and assist four in 13 appearances – attracted the attention of a host of Europe’s top clubs, but it is with Leicester City that Tielemans has chosen to commit his future.

Speaking to LCFC.com, Tielemans said: “It is such a great feeling to sign for this Football Club. Ever since I arrived on loan last season, all the players, the staff and the fans have been fantastic with me, so I’m thrilled to be able to become a Leicester City player.

“I believe that we have the talent in our squad to achieve something special and for any player, that’s an exciting thing to be a part of. I really can’t wait to get started again with this Club and do everything I can to help my team-mates.”

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers said: “I’m delighted that Youri has chosen to be part of Leicester City’s journey. It’s an incredibly exciting time for this Football Club and to be able to bring players of Youri’s quality here is an indication of the hunger for success we have here.

“Youri fit brilliantly into the squad last season, he’s already shown that he’s capable of making an impact in the Premier League and he adds another option to an incredibly talented group of players here at Leicester City.”

Born in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw in Belgium, Tielemans is a product of the youth academy at Anderlecht, where he signed his first professional contract in July 2013, aged just 16. A debut in the UEFA Champions League against Olympiakos came three months later as he became the youngest Belgian player to ever feature in the competition.  

Tielemans made 185 appearances for Anderlecht in all competitions over four seasons, scoring 35 goals, and helped the side to two Belgian Pro League titles. He also made rapid progress individually too, as in his first two seasons, he was voted Belgian Young Professional Footballer of the Year and, in 2016/17, Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year.

After moving to AS Monaco in the summer of 2017, he made his debut for the club against Paris Saint-Germain and went on to appear 35 times for the side in his first season.

His performances in the French top tier continued to catch the eye last term, as he scored five goals in just 20 Ligue 1 appearances from midfield before joining Leicester City on loan in January 2019.

He made his debut against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley in February and his quick adaptation to the demands of the Premier League soon established him as a fans’ favourite.

His first goal came in a 3-1 win over Fulham at King Power Stadium, while he added further strikes against Huddersfield and Arsenal to end the campaign with three goals and four assists in just 13 games.

At international level, Tielemans made his debut for Belgium in November 2016 and has gone on to feature for them 23 times. He was also part of the Belgium squad that finished third at the 2018 World Cup – starting in both victories against England in Russia.

He will now link up with the rest of the Leicester City squad in France for a training camp as preparations continue for the 2019/20 Premier League season.