Could Tielemans be Villa’s signing of the season?
Aston Villa have brought in various players this summer but Youri Tielemans is the most exciting addition. The Belgian midfielder has long been tipped to become one of the world’s greatest and playing under Unai Emery at Villa Park will give him the chance to take his game to the next level.
Bettors are now keeping a close eye on Villa, as the Midlands side could be one of this season’s favourites to make an assault on the Premier League’s top six. Tielemans will give them the added star quality they need to build on last season’s seventh-place finish.
Tielemans departs relegated Leicester City
After Leicester City dropped down into the second tier, they had to offload some of their highest-earning players. Tielemans was the first to go, as his contract expired and he didn’t sign a new deal. The Foxes will most likely bounce back, with many Championship bets backing them to win the league. Indeed, they can be backed at 5/4 at the time of writing to be promoted at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
The second tier is notoriously hard, however, and bettors can use Championship tips to choose who to stake on. The relegated Premier League teams may find tough competition from the likes of Sunderland and Middlesbrough. The Foxes will also have to face off against other relegated teams Leeds United and Southampton, who will both be hoping to return to the top flight for the first time of asking. However, it looks as though Leicester are currently best placed to do so after an excellent summer transfer window.
Tielemans will be joined by former teammates James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, who departed joining Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle respectively after Leicester’s relegation. Both players could have a huge impact at their new clubs, but the Belgian has the potential to make the biggest waves. He is likely to be a 90-minute man for Emery, and could even be a future captain for Villa given his experience and commanding nature in the centre of the park.
Villa looking stronger than ever
Success in the Premier League is often built on strength in the centre of the park, and Villa has managed to pick up one of the division’s slickest operators in the position. Tielemans is ranked ninth in the Premier League for tackles, highlighting his skills at shielding the defence.
His passing skills are also excellent for setting up attacks, underlining that he has a well-rounded game. He’s placed at 14th in the league in successful passes into the final third. Along with these attributes, Tielemans is a proficient penalty taker. He has scored 24 in his career and missed five. With Ollie Watkins unreliable from the spot, the Belgian could step up and take over.
Villa has made some serious progress under Emery, and now last season’s finish could act as a platform for future success. The Spaniard has made some shrewd additions to the squad along with Tielemans this summer. Pau Torres will add even more solidity to the defence, while the new signing in attack from Bayern Leverkusen will give Emery more options as well.
Villa have made some great signings this summer, but Tielemans could be the best of them all. Not only will he link defence and attack seamlessly, but he could also go on to become the club captain in the future.