Aston Villa strike agreement to land Youri Tielemans

Youri Tielemans has reportedly agreed a deal to join Aston Villa upon the expiry of his contract at Leicester City.

As reported by The Athletic, the Belgium international is now undergoing a medical at Villa Park before penning a multi-year contract.

Villa joined the race to sign the 26-year-old last week.

Manchester United and Newcastle United were also interested in offering the midfielder a lifeline in the Premier League following Leicester’s relegation.

However, Unai Emery’s men wasted no time and are now on the cusp of landing the former Monaco man, who has been one of the most consistent Premier League midfielders in recent years.

If everything goes according to plan, Tielemans will become Villa’s first signing this summer as they prepare for the upcoming challenges.

Despite experiencing an underwhelming start to the 2022/23 campaign under Steven Gerrard, inspired by Emery’s impressive work, Villa secured a long-awaited return to European competition.

They will compete in the Europa Conference League next season after beating Tottenham Hotspur to a seventh-place finish last term.

Meanwhile, Tielemans, who joined Leicester from Monaco in 2019, racked up 21 goals and 21 assists in 151 Premier League appearances during his prolific time at the King Power Stadium.

He played a crucial role in his former team’s FA Cup triumph in 2021, netting a memorable winner against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.

Alongside James Maddison, the Belgian was a rare shining light in an otherwise disappointing season for the Foxes, featuring in 31 league fixtures and tallying three goals and two assists.

He should be a massive coup for Villa, but his departure will probably trigger a transfer exodus at Leicester.

Maddison could be the next big-name departure.

Wanted by Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur, the English playmaker is reportedly available for £50 million, though Leicester’s drop could drive his price down.