PROVING A POINT
TO FACE CLUB HE MAY SOON BE PLAYING FOR
YOURI Tielemans will be looking to prove a point this afternoon when he takes on the club he could soon be representing, writes Jordan Blackwell.
The Leicester City midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal this summer, but while there is no offer on the table, a transfer cannot go ahead.
So the Belgian will be wearing blue at the Emirates Stadium today, with Brendan Rodgers in no doubt he will be ready to play amid the speculation.
Jamie Vardy, once a target for the Gunners, has been a thorn in their side ever since, and Rodgers will be hoping for the same from Tielemans.
The manager has said he will, as usual, be looking to make his mark on the game.
“He’s a top professional,” Rodgers said. “It’s a top game for us so he’ll want to be involved in it.
“I think with the best players they always want to prove a point anyway and it doesn’t matter whether it’s against a team they’ve been linked with or not.
“Youri is a top international footballer so every game he plays, in actual fact every training session Youri plays, he is trying to be the best player he can be.
“This weekend is no different. There is lots of speculation around him but he looks to prove a point every single game he plays.”
With Arsenal mulling over a bid, Tielemans’ future is up in the air.
City are unlikely to stand in his way if a suitable offer does arrive, as they know he would be leaving on a free transfer next summer, with the 24-year-old reluctant to sign a new contract. Losing Tielemans for nothing is not what City want, but it’s not out of the question. Rodgers, below, said: “It’s not ideal but it’s happened before, players have left here for free before. “He wouldn’t be the first one, but at this moment in time it’s about keeping an eye on the team and the squad, making sure they are ready.” Meanwhile, City have finally completed their first signing of the summer, welcoming goalkeeper Alex Smithies to the club on a twoyear deal.
Sixty-three days into the window, City now have their maiden recruit, meaning they are no longer the only side in Europe’s top divisions without a transfer.
Smithies comes in as City’s third-choice keeper on a free transfer, the 32-year-old providing support to Danny Ward and Daniel Iversen. His arrival will also signal a loan departure for highly-rated young goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk.