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Tottenham are interested in signing Monaco midfielder Youri Tielemans, who is allowed to leave the struggling Ligue 1 club either for a £20m fee or on loan, as reported by the Telegraph.
What’s the word, then?
The 21-year-old has been one of Monaco’s standout performers this season under both Leonardo Jardim and Thierry Henry, making 20 league starts and scoring five goals from midfield – an impressive rate of a goal every four games as per Whoscored.
Tielemans was one of the hottest prospects in Europe during his time at Anderlecht, before making a £20m move to France in May 2017 (as per the BBC). He remains an extremely promising young talent, but with Monaco currently sat just one place off the bottom in France’s top-flight and in real danger of relegation, he could be set for a move away.
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Tottenham are looking light in midfield following the departure of Mousa Dembele to Guangzhou R&F (as per the BBC), and coupled with Victor Wanyama’s injury problems this season, they could do with getting another body in.
Where would he fit in and who would he replace?
Tielemans would thrive under the tutelage of Mauricio Pochettino, and would undoubtedly start to fulfil his vast potential. Spurs haven’t signed a single player in this window, nor in the summer window, so a late big-money move such as this would be a surprise.
However, if the Belgium international does arrive in north London, it could be bad news for Moussa Sissoko, who has enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence in his Tottenham career in the current campaign.
His continued involvement in the starting eleven seems to be more Pochettino making the most of his squad amid a difficult period in terms of injuries, rather than the France international being a genuinely indispensable first-team member. Tielemans feels like a welcome upgrade, especially in the long-term.
Tielemans was part of the Belgium side that finished third at the World Cup back in the summer, and, alongside Harry Winks, could be part of the foundations of Spurs’ midfield for years to come. Sissoko, meanwhile, could well slip back from being a starting XI regular to a rotational member of the squad.
