Liverpool have been linked with a move for Youri Tielemans for almost a year now, and a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the Belgian.
What’s the latest?
According to TEAMtalk, the Reds are tracking several Premier League midfielders this month, including the Leicester City star.
As per the report, Liverpool will have competition from Arsenal, although it is claimed that if the Merseyside club can meet Tielemans’ wage demands, the 25-year-old will become their signing.
Bargain Bellingham alternative
It is no secret that the powers at Anfield love a bargain when recruiting for their successful squad, and former sporting director Michael Edwards was an expert in not only getting a good price for outgoing players but also identifying signings who could make a credible impact in the team for the right price.
Liverpool are in a period of transition when it comes to their midfield personnel, with a number of their current crop either out of contract at the end of the season or reaching the latter stages of their careers, and the need for change couldn’t be more glaringly obvious when reflecting on the team’s performance’s so far in 2022/23.
The Reds are currently sixth in the Premier League after a number of lacklustre and uninspiring performances which have seen them drop a number of points over their first 17 games, with defeats to the likes of Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and more recently Brentford.
Furthermore, the Reds have crashed out of the Carabao Cup after losing to Manchester City in the fourth round and await an FA Cup replay at Wolverhampton Wanderers after a 2-2 draw last weekend.
As a result, the need for reinforcements has perhaps never been so desperate for Jurgen Klopp since his arrival at the club in 2015, and Tielemans could be the perfect profile of player to be part of the midfield rebuild.
Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move for Jude Bellingham also, but with a £129m price tag on the Englishman, it would be an expensive commitment for FSG. It also goes against the kind of austere transfer business to which the club has been accustomed, so Tielemans could be a bargain alternative considering that he is set to be a free agent in the summer.
As per FBref, the £35k-per-week Foxes ace ranks in the top 20% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues over the last 12 months for shots on goal, shot-creating actions, progressive passes completed, tackles and blocks. This shows that he is both effective in defensive and attacking play, and he has continued to shine this season despite Leicester’s struggles.
Across 18 Premier League appearances in the current campaign, Tielemans – who was dubbed “one of Europe’s top midfielders” by his manager Brendan Rodgers – has scored three goals, registered one assist, created six big chances and successfully completed 71% of his dribbles. He has also averaged 1.1 key passes, 2.2 tackles, 1.2 shots on goal and 4.3 duels won per game.
Indeed, it is not hard to see why the Belgian midfielder is attracting attention from the likes of Newcastle United and Arsenal alongside Liverpool, as his hard-working attitude reflected in his output on the pitch would be a valuable asset to any club challenging near the top of the Premier League.
Signing Tielemans would be a major coup for Liverpool and could ultimately save them hundreds of millions if the club are unable to seal a deal for Bellingham this year.