In the winter transfer market, Leicester City took Youri Tielemans on loan from AS Monaco until the end of the season.
The Belgium international came up through the ranks of Anderlecht and after spending four seasons with the Jupiler Pro League outfit’s first team, the midfielder joined the Ligue 1 side in 2017.
Charly Musonda was with Tielemans in Anderlecht’s youth system, but the former left the club for Chelsea’s academy in 2012.
The 22-year-old has never been a regular in the Blues first team and is currently on loan at Vitesse Arnhem, although injured, after previously having temporary spells at Real Betis and Celtic.
Tottenham Hotspur star Toby Alderweireld’s agent Stijn Francis, who owns Stirr Associates has used Tielemans and Musonda’s contrasting career growth as an example to warn young Belgian players not to make a switch to England without having experience in the first team elsewhere.
“England can clearly be discouraged for young people who have not yet been debuted with a first team,” Francis told Het Nieuwsblad.
“The best example for me is the comparison between Youri Tielemans and Charly Musonda. The latter had more talent for me than the first one, but it is Tielemans who has already played a World Cup and was brought in by Leicester City for a lot of money.”
