Leicester keen on “exceptional” £8m-rated gem who’d be Tielemans 2.0
It must feel an awful long time ago for Leicester City fans when they now consider their side’s unbelievable past exploits, with the East Midlands underdogs lifting the FA Cup and Premier League aloft in quick succession in what proved to be a golden period to be a Foxes fan.
Now, supporters packed into the King Power Stadium this campaign to come will just hope they can stay afloat in the top flight, away from their previous grand achievements, with Steve Cooper now at the helm tasked with ensuring relegation doesn’t happen.
Leicester could look to turn back the clock to their unbelievable day out to Wembley in the FA Cup final, however, with this potential signing in through the door, who might well end up being the newly promoted club’s next Youri Tielemans in the making.
Leicester City’s search for a midfielder
According to a report by Belgian outlet Het Laatste Nieuws, as relayed by Sport Witness, Leicester hold ‘concrete interest’ in Royal Antwerp gem Mandela Keita this summer, as the midfield ranks look to be bolstered by Cooper.
Both Rennes and Fiorentina are also noted as being further interested parties going after the 22-year-old star, who even has a senior cap for the Belgium national team next to his name now, after an impressive individual campaign for his current employers.
It could take a bid of around £8m – as per his current estimated market value, according to Football Transfers – for a move to take place though, with Leicester having to splash the cash to land their desired target.
Why Keita can be Tielemans 2.0
Tielemans was once also a promising talent plying his trade in the Jupiler Pro League before Leicester swooped in, resulting in the now Aston Villa man becoming a key first-team performer for the Foxes, with his long-range strike against Chelsea back in 2021 enabling Leicester to upset the odds and lift the FA Cup.
Keita isn’t quite as forceful when it comes to helping out in attack, but he could go on to become an established member of Cooper’s first team all the same in England, much like the former Anderlecht man managed under previous managers at the King Power.
Keita’s tenacity and energy from the middle of the park has been an effective calling card for Antwerp to utilise, however, with the goal above all the in-demand Belgian’s own work, before allowing his fortunate teammate to simply tap home.
The 22-year-old would only pick up two goal contributions all of last season away from this clip, but his battling nature will be of use to Leicester all the same, and Keita could even end up striking up an effective midfield duo with Wilfried Ndidi if a deal is clinched.
Whilst Ndidi would look to get on the scoresheet, Keita would be more than content with being a disruptive presence in a more holding role, as can be seen glancing at the table above, with an unbelievable 5.9 total duels won on average last season playing in his native country.
But, his assuredness on the ball – away from trying to break up play – could also see him perform much like Tielemans operated when still pulling on a Foxes strip, with the Villa midfielder bowing out from the King Power with an 82% pass accuracy per Premier League contest during the 2022-23 season.
