'Been told' - Romano drops key transfer update on star midfielder; Man Utd confident of deal

Manchester United target Youri Tielemans will not sign a new contract with Leicester City, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Red Devils are after a marquee midfield addition in the summer and now have Tielemans on their radar after looking at West Ham’s Declan Rice and Leeds’ Kalvin Phillips.

Reports in recent days from The Mirror suggest that United are confident that a deal can be done with the Foxes for Tielemans in the region of £40m.

He will be into the final 12 months of his contract at the King Power Stadium in the summer and won’t be penning fresh terms under Brendan Rodgers.

Romano took to Twitter on Friday evening to provide a major update on Tielemans’ future. He revealed that a new deal has been rejected by the Belgium international, who is wanted by ‘many top clubs’.

The journalist tweeted: “I’ve been told Youri Tielemans will NOT extend his contract with Leicester. New deal bid has been turned down – current one expires in 2023. Of course Youri will be professional, he’s focused on Leicester. Many top clubs want him for June.”

Tielemans is primarily a central midfielder who can also play in a defensive or attacking midfield role. He has plenty of Premier League experience under his belt and also appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high Transfermarkt valuation of £49.5m.

The 24-year-old has been Leicester’s best-performing player in the Premier League this season according to WhoScored, recording a better average match rating than the likes of Scott McTominay and Fred.

On that basis, a cut-price £40m deal for less than his market valuation could be a shrewd move, but it seems as if United may face competition for his services.

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