Erik ten Hag revives Man Utd's interest in £25m-rated Leicester contract rebel

Erik ten Hag has revived Manchester United’s interest in Leicester City contract rebel Youri Tielemans as he looks to bolster his midfield, according to reports.

The 25-year-old only has one year left on his contract at the King Power Stadium and has made no secret of his desire to embark on a fresh challenge, with Leicester increasingly resigned to losing him.

North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham had both been linked with moves for Tielemans, who is thought to be available for a cut-price fee of around £25million.

But Spurs instead opted to sign Yves Bissouma for a similar fee while the Gunners are working on other targets before revisiting a move for Tielemans later in the window.

Prior to Ten Hag’s appointment, United had also been in the mix for the Belgian but links went cold when the former Ajax boss took over – particularly as he prioritised a move for Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.

But now The Times are reporting that Tielemans is back on United’s shortlist and is a player who is ‘of interest’ to Ten Hag.

It is unclear how highly he features on the new manager’s shortlist, while, like Arsenal, United may feel it is deal that can wait until later in the window given the player’s precarious contract situation at Leicester and his desire to leave.

Although United are putting all their focus on tying up a deal for De Jong – they are hopeful of agreeing an upfront fee of just £56m – Ten Hag has always wanted to bring in a second midfielder too.

That player was expected to be a more defence-conscious midfielder, effectively replacing Nemanja Matic, while De Jong is considered a replacement for Paul Pogba.

While Tielemans does not fit that profile, he is ideally suited to the possession football Ten Hag wants to play and has shown plenty of tenacity and work rate in Leicester’s engine room.

Speaking about his future last month, Tielemans was asked if he could leave Leicester this summer and replied: ‘That is not out of the question.

‘I feel very good at Leicester, I was welcomed with open arms from day one. I give everything for the club until the last day.

‘But of course you have to listen to other opportunities, you have to look at your career, and sometimes you have to make choices. Maybe one will come my way.’

It is unclear if Tielemans could be signed instead of or in addition to Christian Eriksen, who Ten Hag is also looking to bring to Old Trafford on a free transfer.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news onFacebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Source: Read Full Article