Aston Villa confirm Youri Tielemans signing on free transfer

Aston Villa have confirmed they will sign Youri Tielemans on a free transfer once his contract expires later this summer.

The Belgium international ran down his contract with Leicester as they suffered relegation to the Championship.

He joins a Villans side that qualified for the Europa Conference League after a mid-season turnaround under incoming manager Unai Emery.

A club statement reads: "Aston Villa is delighted to announce that the club has reached an agreement to sign Youri Tielemans.

"The Belgian international will officially become a Villan on July 1 after his contract with Leicester City has expired."

A highly rated youth prospect at Anderlecht, Tielemans joined Leicester initially on loan from Monaco in 2019 before the move was made permanent later that year. He made 195 appearances in total for the club, scoring 28 goals and winning the FA Cup in 2021, when he scored an iconic goal in the 1-0 final victory over Chelsea.

The 26-year-old impressed in a Leicester side that challenged for Champions League qualification under Brendan Rodgers but his form like most of his Foxes teammates suffered this season.