Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers reveals he held talks with Tielemans

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers reveals he has held talks with Youri Tielemans as the midfielder looks set to leave the Foxes this summer with just over one year left on his deal

• Brendan Rodgers has revealed he has held talks with Youri Tielemans
• The Belgian midfielder has just one year left on his deal after this season 
• He currently looks set to leave the club during the summer transfer window
• Leicester hope to salvage their year by winning the Europa Conference League 

Brendan Rodgers has revealed he held talks with star midfielder Youri Tielemans as Leicester look to salvage their season by winning the Europa Conference League.

Tielemans seems set to leave this summer as his contract expires in June 2023, but the Belgium international has regained strong form after he was dropped following the Foxes’ dire display in losing 4-1 in the FA Cup at Nottingham Forest – meaning the holders exited at the fourth-round stage.

Rodgers berated his players publicly after that defeat and though results have not yet improved, performances have. With a 4-1 lead from the first leg, Leicester should progress to the last 16 of the Conference League at Danish club Randers on Thursday.

Brendan Rodgers have held talks with Youri Tielemans who looks set to leave Leicester 

‘I had a good chat with Youri last week,’ said Rodgers. ‘The message to the players after Forest was for the benefit of them all, not one player.

‘Hopefully we’ve seen the response to that. These are all good guys and sometimes success can soften you.

‘For us all the Forest match was a real chance to reflect and look at our levels of desire and passion, because the quality is undoubted. Collectively we needed to have a look at ourselves.

The Belgian international has just one year left on his contract at the end of this season

‘Their response from that has been very good so we need to continue on that path and if we do that, and have some players back from injury, then we can have a really exciting finish to the season.’

Rodgers will complete three years as Leicester boss on Saturday and while he has brought huge success, winning the FA Cup, Community Shield and twice finishing fifth, this campaign has been far more difficult.

Leicester are in the bottom half of the table and are out of all three cup competitions they entered, though at least their Europa League failure gave them another shot at success through the Conference League.

Rodgers hopes Leicester can salvage their season by winning the Europa Conference League

Rodgers’ position is not thought to be in immediate danger and he is already planning for pre-season, with a training camp in Evian-les-Bains, France, likely.

‘We need to keep writing chapters at the club,’ he said. ‘This season has been a challenge but when you look at it logically, our squad isn’t deep enough. So when players are missing it will affect performance.

‘We have still to be open to criticism if we don’t get the results, but over the course of my time here the players have been great. We’ve achieved something and we’re very hungry to continue. I’m excited by that.’ 

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