Leicester break club transfer record to land Manchester United target

Leicester have announced the arrival of Monaco midfielder Youri Tielemans in a club-record deal worth a reported £40m.

Tielemans, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Leicester, has put pen to paper on a four-year deal running until the summer of 2023.

Brendan Rodgers’ helped bring the best out of the Belgium international during his time in England and Leicester have been working hard to make his switch permanent since the end of last season.

“It is such a great feeling to sign for this football club,” he told the club’s official website. “Ever since I arrived on loan last season, all the players, the staff and the fans have been fantastic with me, so I’m thrilled to be able to become a Leicester City player.

“I believe that we have the talent in our squad to achieve something special and for any player, that’s an exciting thing to be part of. I really can’t wait to get started again with this club and do everything I can to help my team-mates.”

Manchester United were reportedly interested in Tielemans this summer but the talented midfielder has opted to return to the King Power Stadium.

The 22-year-old is Leicester’s second signing of the summer following the arrival of Ayoze Perez from Newcastle in a reported £30m deal.

Tielemans scored or assisted seven goals in 13 Premier League appearances for Leicester last season and finished the campaign with a WhoScored rating of 7.14.