Manchester United have been linked with a January raid on Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans.
The Belgian’s contract expires in the summer and he may be available for a deal at a reduced price before the transfer window closes.
And given that the Red Devils lack strength in the depth of midfield, Tielemans could be a great addition.
Christian Eriksen was noticeably tired by the end of the game, as the matches are accumulating, and Erik ten Hag’s system is heavily dependent on the Dane in terms of advancing the ball from deep.
While Casemiro impresses with his pass range, Scott McTominay and Fred are unlikely to replace Eriksen as his partner.
Tillemens could enter the team in this number eight role, giving either Eriksen or Bruno Fernandes a rest, and the Dane could play the role of a ten.
Earlier this week, journalist Thomas Alencar suggested that a move is possible this month, tweeting the following:
United are interested in Thielemans. There is no offer yet. The interest comes from the scout team and the sports director of the club.
“The Belgian is one of the possibilities in January after van de Beek’s injury.”
🚨 Notícia exclusiva via DM:
A United está interessado em Tielemans. Nenhuma proposta ainda.
O interesse parte da equipe de olheiros e o diretor esportivo do clube. O belga é uma das possibilidades em janeiro depois da lesão do van de Beek.
Informação do @sachatavolieri pic.twitter.com/uZxDg47T0l
— Thomas Alencar (@thomasalencr) January 15, 2023
The suggestion that Donny van de Beek’s injury at the end of the season could prompt United to take action in this window sounds pretty plausible, however, the austerity policy at Old Trafford this month does not seem to change anytime soon.
In an interview with Give Me Sport, CBS journalist Ben Jacobs believes that the end of Arsenal’s pursuit could mean a move to United.
“We know that Manchester United has been interested in Tielemans for a long time,” he said. “But Tielemans was not so sold at the moment when he thought Arsenal were also playing very seriously at the table and could move a little faster.
“Now Manchester United is flying on the football field, it will be interesting to see if this will change anything in Tielemans’ perception of Manchester United.
Whether the player will be happy to join or not will of course be debatable if United cannot afford even the knockdown price for which Tielemans would be available.
But if United manage to free up funds, the Belgian could be a good addition to Ten Hag’s team.
