Everton might just have received a huge unlikely boost in their pursuit of Belgian wonder kid Youri Tielemans. The Anderlecht midfielder has hinted in a recent interview that he could consider joining the Merseyside club this summer as he is looking at clubs where he won’t have to see bench time.
Touted to be the next big thing to come out of Belgian football, he is expected to be on the move next transfer window. And given that clubs like Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United are all interested in landing him, a preference for Everton is definitely surprising.
Former Belgium international Marc Degryse recently urged Tielemans to consider offers from clubs such as Everton, as he would likely get more playing time. While speaking to Belgian radio, the 19-year-old told agreeing to his advice, “It’s what’s best, to progress step by step… What Marc says, it’s good to not burn steps and to avoid ending up on the bench and not getting game time. It’s what’s best for every footballer, I think. I, however, don’t have a preference league wise.”
The midfielder has been eye-catching this season so far, scoring nine goals and assisting seven times in 24 appearances for the Belgian giants and is hugely responsible for their place at the top of the Jupiler Pro League table.
Premier League has been taken by storm by a host of Belgian talents, which include the likes of Eden Hazard, Jan Vertonghen, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin Mirallas, Michy Batshuayi and more, and seems like the ideal platform for Tielemans to upgrade to the next level.
An Anderlecht youth product, Tielemans has 16 goals and 15 assists in the top level Belgian soccer since making it to the first team in 2013. He also debuted in the Belgium national last year in November. A central midfielder by nature, he has bagged 3 goals in 5 Europa League appearances so far.
However, he might just not get the only thing in Everton that he is looking for. With players likes Morgan Schneiderlin, Gareth Barry, James McCarthy, Idrissa Gueye and the upcoming Tom Davies, Tielemans has a huge task at hand if he is looking to avoid bench time. On-loan midfielder Tom Cleverley is also expected to return at the end of the term, which makes it all the more complicated for him. We think Chelsea would be an easier platform to make it to the starting eleven given the less competition in the midfield.
His short figure doesn’t bode well with the requirements of the Premier League, and although many have made it to the top despite having a small frame, it surely adds to his disadvantage.
