Even if you don’t follow Belgian football closely, or at all for that matter, the name Youri Tielemans is still likely to ring a bell.
Whether you’ve bought him on your FIFA or Football Manager careers, or heard your mate down the pub say he’s the best up and coming midfielder in Europe, the 19-year-old midfielder is already a trademark name in football these days, and for good reason.
So far spending all of his professional career at Anderlecht, Tielemans probably has more European football experience under his belt than half the Premier League, making his Champions League debut in October 2013 at the tender age of 16 years, four months and 25 days, and has already captained the Belgian side on seven different occasions this season.
Such a precocious rise in the world of football never goes unnoticed, and the central midfielder has been linked with moves to some of the biggest clubs around Europe for the past three years.
Always choosing to remain at Anderlecht, Tielemans has benefitted hugely from the continuity at the Belgian side, and is currently having the best season of his career, helping his team with 17 goals and 10 assists in 38 appearances from midfield.
While those stats are already impressive, when you take into account the fact seven of those goals were from outside the box, the technical ability displayed by the 19-year-old is simply staggering.
Also burdened with the responsibility of taking his side’s penalties, Tielemans has missed only one from the eight attempted this season, but still ensured the rebound ended up in the back of the net.
What about the other two? A coolly slotted one on one after being put through on goal and a tidy half-volley rifled in past the keeper at his near post.
As for the assists, they range from indirect free-kick crosses to neatly weighted through-balls for the forwards who play in front of him.
However, if the mood in the Belgian press over the past few weeks is anything to go by, this could very well be Tielemans’ last season in his home country, with a move to a better league being touted for the summer.
The usual suspects have all reappeared, with the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham regularly thrown into the mix to get their fans excited and garner clicks, but that’s not what the player wants at this stage in his career.
A couple of weeks ago, the young midfielder was invited as a guest on RTBF radio in Belgium, and his future was briefly discussed with former international Marc Degryse, who suggested a team like Everton would be the right move for him.
Tielemans replied: “It’s what’s best to progress step by step. What Mark says, it’s good to not burn steps and to avoid ending up on the bench and not getting game time. It’s what’s best for every footballer, I think. I, however, don’t have a preference league wise”.
Level-headed and fully aware that a move to one of Europe’s elite could mean his development stagnating, it’s also worth pointing out that Anderlecht themselves won’t be forced to sell if they manage to qualify for the Champions League next season, as their director of football Herman Van Holsbeeck explained to DH.
He said: “If we’re champions, he’ll be able to play in the Champions League and stand out. That would also be a real project, with the guarantee of being a starter, and maybe establish himself with the national team so close to the World Cup in Russia.
“If he went to Manchester City for example, it’s not guaranteed he’ll start, which complicates things. All of this, Youri will think about it”.
It’s worth pointing out at this stage that Tielemans isn’t a regular for Belgium, only making his debut under Roberto Martinez from the bench in a 1-1 friendly draw against the Netherlands last November.
However, that could quickly change if he continues to perform as he has done over the past seven months, and a move to the right club could help him cement a spot in a very competitive Belgium midfield.
That’s the problem, though: finding the right club.
As Van Holsbeeck says, if Tielemans leaves, it won’t just be for the money: “It’ll be for a club who offer him a real project. He could have already left last year. Clubs offered more than €20m for him. He said no, and so did we, because he still wanted to grow and Anderlecht was the ideal place for him to do that.”
That club could have been Monaco last season, who, according to Het Nieuwsblad, offered €18m for his services in the summer.
Yet, you look at the Premier League, and there are very few clubs who can offer Tielemans what he really needs to continue his development.
Of course, most clubs in the bottom half of the table would be delighted with a player of his ability, but the likelihood of him joining the likes of Watford or Bournemouth is slim, if non-existent.
That’s why Everton were suggested by Marc Degryse, and they probably make the most sense.
Capable of playing in both a midfield two or a midfield three, Tielemans would allow Ronald Koeman to continue his tactical tinkering, offering him the option of using Ross Barkley ahead of the Belgian, or allowing him a bit more freedom with the likes of Schneiderlin and Idrissa Gueye around him.
Furthermore, signing the Anderlecht prodigy would be a big statement by the Toffees, who, with their new backing, are keen to establish themselves as one of the main forces in the Premier League in the long run.
The financial side of things shouldn’t be a big problem for Everton either, as Anderlecht know there is a limit to what they can refuse, as explained by Van Holensbeeck.
He said: “His chances of leaving us at the end of the season? I’d say 60%. I already know the price that I’m going to ask for, but I’ll keep that to myself. It should break a record or two, however…”
Considering Anderlecht current record sale is Aleksandar Mitrovic to Newcastle is just under £16m, that shouldn’t be too hard.
The same goes for Tielemans becoming the most expensive player to leave the Jupiler Pro League, as costing the buying club more than Marouane Fellaini’s £18.5m transfer from Standard Liège to Everton is a near guarantee.
The current price being thrown around the Belgian media is €25m (£21.5m), but taking into account the midfielder’s age, contract situation (current deal runs out in 2020) and potential, Anderlecht could easily ask for €5m more (and a few add-ons).
Of course, there’s also the possibility of a manager in the current Premier League top 6, such as Tottenham or Liverpool, ripping up the script completely and throwing the kitchen sink at Anderlecht, all the while promising Tielemans he can play football in their midfield.
He could also go abroad, with a team like the aforementioned Monaco the ideal place for him to thrive, especially when you take into account the likelihood of half their midfield being sold in the summer meaning money won’t be an issue for them either.
That, and they will be able to guarantee him Champions League football.
We’re certainly looking forward to seeing where Tielemans ends up, and you can be sure that we’ll be covering every moment of it once the season comes to an end.
