Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans has actually been trying to join Liverpool from as far back as January.
That’s according to journalist Ben Jacobs. Speaking on The Football Terrace on YouTube, Jacobs assessed Liverpool’s need to sign a midfielder in what’s left of the transfer window.
“Jurgen Klopp has said if they do bring in a midfielder it will only be because that name brings in long term quality. Otherwise they will wait. What strikes me is I think Liverpool need to bring in a playmaker. But it is whether that is part of their long-term strategy,” said the journalist.
“There are a variety of midfielders who could be considered by Liverpool. One is Youri Tielemans, who would be open to a Liverpool move. I know that because his agent had pushed Liverpool links earlier in windows, particularly in January when the Arsenal links formed.”
However, Jacobs also suggested that The Reds have been consistent in their message that Tielemans is of no interest to them.
“Liverpool have always shot down Tielemans links, so if they did move for him, it would be more of a U-turn than a strategy and a lot would depend on the price,” he said.
Tielemans running out of time for a move
Tielemans is a name who has often been linked with a move to Liverpool. As it happens though, he’s also been continuously linked with a whole host of other clubs, too.
That’s no surprise, the Belgium international is a fine player. But it feels as though if Liverpool wanted him, they would have made a concrete approach by now.
There were reports earlier in the window that The Reds have actually actively rejected a move for Tielemans. A deal for the 25-year-old was reportedly seen as being ‘easy’ to complete, but Liverpool deliberately held off.
The reason given for that is that the 25-year-old isn’t seen as a ‘game-changer.’ That may be true, but it’s also true that he would improve Liverpool’s current midfield options.
Despite joining Leicester for £40m in 2019, he could also be available for a cheaper fee than that this summer.
Time will tell whether or not Liverpool’s insistence on sticking with what they’ve got is a wise one. Tielemans is available and seemingly willing to make the move though, should they have a last-minute change of heart.
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