da pinnacle： West Ham are set to face ‘big competition’ in their pursuit of Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.
The Lowdown: Tielemans’ contract situation
da imperador bet： The Belgium international has entered the final 18 months of his current Leicester contract, which is set to expire at the end of June 2023.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the 24-year-old has already decided that he will not extend his contract with Brendan Rodgers’ side, and an offer of a new deal has duly been rejected by the midfielder. This has sparked a frenzy in clubs’ interest of the player, who has a current market valuation of £49.5m.
The Daily Mail have reported that many elite European clubs, including the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Juventus, are all keeping close tabs on his situation.
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The Latest: O’Rourke on West Ham and Tielemans
Despite such illustrious links, 90min claimed that a number of other clubs , including West Ham, are also keen to secure the Leicester man’s services.
O’Rourke weighed in on the situation, claiming that it will be a tough signing for the Hammers to pull off. Speaking to GiveMeSport, he stated: “They’ll have a big competition for Tielemans, West Ham, if they do follow up their interest in him.”
The Verdict: Would be a fantastic coup
Tielemans’ underlying statistics illustrate just how good an addition he would be for David Moyes’ side. When compared with players in the same position (via FB Ref), over the last year the midfielder has ranked in the 95th percentile for total shots, the 93rd percentile for non-penalty expected goals plus expected assisted, and the 96th percentile for shot-creating actions.
With a lack of goals a more recent issue for West Ham, the Belgian could add an attacking threat that the midfield so desperately needs, as illustrated by his 24 goals and 22 assists in 138 appearances for Leicester.
If the Irons choose to follow up their interest, the east London club can definitely expect a tough fight if they are to secure the 24-year-old’s signature, especially with him being labelled “one of Europe’s top midfielders” by Rodgers.
In other news: Journalist offers scathing review of David Moyes’ management