Why Arsenal or Manchester United transfer would be 'maximum risk' for Youri Tielemans

Youri Tielemans would be taking a “maximum risk” to leave Leicester City this summer, former Belgian international Philippe Albert believes.

Tielemans’ future has been one of the hot topics at City, with the midfielder mulling over his options, not yet signing a new contract at the King Power Stadium that has been in the works for more than a year.

Arsenal and Manchester United are among the sides who have been linked with him, with a decision likely to be required this summer, when he enters the final 12 months of his deal at City.

The club won’t want to lose him for nothing, and so would rather he signed a new contract or was sold, albeit Tielemans has dropped hints recently that he could spend another year at the club and then consider his next step in 2023, when he would be a free agent.

In terms of his Belgium chances, former Newcastle defender Albert believes Tielemans may be better off staying put. Adjusting to a new club just a few months before a World Cup could damage his chances of making the starting line-up for Roberto Martinez’s side, he has said.

Tielemans was named captain for this week’s friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Burkina Faso, but only after the players with more than 50 caps were left out. And, pundits in Belgium believe he was outshone by his midfield partner, Club Brugge’s Hans Vanaken.

“Last year, Youri had a much better season than now,” Albert wrote for Belgian paper Le Soir. “And then, strangely enough, no one moved too much to buy out his contract.

“This time, he has had a big downturn, as we saw again in Ireland and against Burkina Faso, but Arsenal and Manchester United are suddenly out of the woodwork.

“It’s a nice compliment, of course, but I wonder if, in the