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LONDON. — Leicester City are yet to receive any offers for Youri Tielemans despite reported interest from Manchester United and Arsenal, according to club chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.
Belgium international Tielemans has been linked with a move away from the King Power Stadium after entering the final 12 months of his contract with Leicester, for whom he made 32 Premier League appearances last term.
The midfielder has recorded 120 league outings for the Foxes since joining – initially on loan – in January 2019, a tally only bettered by goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel (127) during that time.
Meanwhile, only Harvey Barnes (24) and James Maddison (19) have bettered Tielemans’ 18 league assists for the side since his arrival from Monaco, and only four Leicester players have managed more than his 18 league goals.
Tielemans’ creativity has seen him linked with Arsenal and Manchester United, the latter as a potential alternative to Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, but Srivaddhanaprabha says Leicester are yet to receive any concrete proposals.
“It’s nothing. There haven’t been any offers yet. There hasn’t been anything concrete or a proposition yet,” he said at the launch of an artificial pitch in Thailand.
Having finished an underwhelming 2021-22 Premier League season in eighth position, Brendan Rodgers’ side are yet to sign a single player during the transfer window.
But Srivaddhanaprabha pledged reinforcements will arrive in due course, adding: “Premier League football is one of the focal points for the King Power Group. You may see that the reinforcement is quite slow, this is because the market is changing quite quickly. You have to wait until the end of August. I think there is still time.”
Meanwhile Cristiano Ronaldo was part of Manchester United’s tour de-brief yesterday after the club re-affirmed that the Portugal star is not for sale.
The flash of photographers’ lightbulbs heralded his 10am arrival as Ronaldo rolled back into United’s Carrington training complex for showdown talks over his future, resplendent in his £168 000 blue Bentley.
Alongside him was his trusted agent Jorge Mendes who has been trying to engineer a move away to Atletico Madrid.
Ronaldo also stopped briefly to greet former boss Sir Alex Ferguson and captain Bryan Robson in the club canteen ahead of the meeting.
Ferguson and Robson were at Carrington for a pre-scheduled lunch with chief executive Richard Arnold and David Gill, the club’s former chief executive.
Arnold was expected to meet Mendes later on to discuss the Portuguese star’s future but the club were unwilling to detail events.
Mendes has indicated he has been impressed by Arnold’s approach and willingness to listen. There has also been an attempt from Arnold to convince Ronaldo to stay and as of last night the club’s official stance remains the same: he is not for sale. However, that has not deterred Mendes from attempting to find a new club for his star client.
Atletico Madrid have shown a willingness to get a deal done but only if Ronaldo takes a substantial cut on his £360 000 a week basic salary and United let him leave for free.
United though do not see a reason to let their 24-goal top scorer leave for free and have also dismissed the idea of extending his contract before considering a loan proposal as ‘nonsense’.
United face Wrexham in a behind closed doors friendly today but Ronaldo is unlikely to figure, that platform will be utilised by Eriksen and Martinez who shared a ride into Carrington today to underwhelming fanfare as a mere sideshow to the main event.
They will look for much-needed match fitness ahead of United’s next two friendlies, the timely fixture of Atletico Madrid in Oslo on Saturday, while a second string will play Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford 24 hours later.. ‑Wires
Online Reporter