Leicester City have completed the loan signing of AS Monaco midfielder Youri Tielemans.
The Belgian has arrived at the King Power Stadium on a temporary basis until the conclusion of the 2018/19 season. As part of the deal, current Foxes’ central-midfielder Adrien Silva has gone in the opposite direction by joining the Ligue 1 side on loan.
'I'm excited to get started'
Upon signing his deal with the 2015/16 Premier League champions, 21-year-old Tielemens expressed his excitement at the prospect of playing for the club.
Talking to LCFCTV, he said: “I’m really excited to get going.
“The Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world and when I was young, I always watched Premier League games.
“I’m really happy to be here and I’m excited to get started on Sunday – I think every kid dreams about playing in the Premier League.”
He also told how thrilled he was to be partnering up with some of the star names at the King Power Stadium, especially after facing a few of them as Belgium and England clashed during the 2018 World Cup. Tielemans said: “For England fans it’s not as good a memory as it is for Belgian fans! It was really good to play against them.
“They are tough opponents to play. Harry Maguire is a real tough defender and Jamie Vardy is really good in the front of the attack. He’s always mobile.”
Promising youngster
Having come through the RCS Anderlecht youth system, Tielemans developed a reputation as one of the most promising youngsters in European football. Despite his tender age, he made 185 appearances for the Belgian outfit, scoring 35 goals and providing 31 assists.
Due to his sparkling form for the club, he attracted plenty of interest from elsewhere, none more so than Monaco who secured his signature for just over £20m. He has struggled with the principality club since his arrival though. He somewhat recovered this season, managing to score five league goals however his future looked bleak with the return of Leonardo Jardim.
Tielemans could make his debut for Leicester as they clash with Manchester United at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.