Youri Tielemans criticism on lack of movement is a 'bit unfair' at Aston Villa

GiveMeSport

·24 November 2023

Youri Tielemans criticism on lack of movement is a 'bit unfair' at Aston Villa

Highlights

Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans has been accused of being unable to "move around the pitch" at Villa Park.
The Belgium international signed for Unai Emery's Villans outfit on a free transfer during the summer transfer window of 2023.
Villa are looking to bolster their centre-forward options in 2024, and have earmarked Athletic Bilbao's Inaki Williams as a potential transfer target.

Aston Villa star Youri Tielemans faces a perception that he “can’t move around the pitch”, as Sunday People chief sports writer Neil Moxley provides his view on some of the “harsh” criticism the midfielder has received at Villa Park.

Unai Emery’s Villans have enjoyed an exceptional start to the 2023/24 Premier League and Europa Conference League campaign. They made several additions during the 2023 summer transfer window.

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Tielemans has struggled to make his impression at Villa this season but has recently started to display the form that once made him one of Europe’s most coveted talents. The Villans hope for more returns from the midfielder in the coming weeks.

Tielemans struggling to make his mark at Villa

During the 2022/23 campaign, it became clear that Tielemans would leave Leicester City at the end of the season. The 26-year-old was linked with a move to Arsenal and Manchester United in the summer of 2022 but remained at the King Power Stadium until his contract expired earlier this year.

Tielemans couldn’t prevent Leicester from being relegated to the Championship and left on a free transfer. Aston Villa quickly acquired his services, and the Belgium international reportedly agreed to a £150,000-per-week contract.

Villa have enjoyed a resurgence under Emery. When he was appointed in October 2022, they were in danger of slipping out of the top flight. But a stunning run of form in the second half of the 2022/23 season secured a seventh-placed Premier League finish and a spot in the 2023/24 Europa Conference League.

Therefore, Tielemans hoped to become a central figure at Villa Park and push the club to greater achievements. However, things have become more complex for the former AS Monaco star.

Before the Villans’ trip to Tottenham Hotspur on 26th November, Tielemans had played just 26% of minutes available in the 2023/24 Premier League season. The midfielder has found more opportunities in the Europa Conference League but will be disappointed at Villa’s early Carabao Cup exit, which closes another avenue for playing time.

However, Moxley also told GIVEMESPORT (22nd November) that Tielemans now looks much happier at Villa Park. The Sint-Pieters-Leeuw-born star registered 90 minutes in Villa’s final match before the November international break, a 3-1 victory over Fulham on the 12th.

Neil Moxley on Youri Tielemans

Moxley believes that perceptions that Tielemans can’t move around the pitch are a “bit unfair” and claims he is “as industrious as anyone.” The journalist marvels over a goal the midfielder scored while at Leicester, comparing it to a Glenn Hoddle chip in the 1980s. Moxley told GIVEMESPORT:

“I think when Tielemans was at Leicester, we were talking about his future, and Brendan Rodgers said he’d not had many offers for him when he was running down his contract. I think the perception out there is he can't move around the pitch, which I think is a bit unfair. I think he gets around the pitch and is as industrious as anyone. There’s one goal he scored for Leicester. For those old enough to remember, there was a chip by Glenn Hoddle against Watford back in the 80s, which was sublime, and Tielemans produced something similar for Leicester. The guy can play.”

Aston Villa transfer news

As the 2024 winter transfer window draws closer, Aston Villa will scour the market ahead of a potential spending spree to bolster their chances of securing Champions League qualification. According to Football Insider, the Villans are exploring a possible move for Athletic Bilbao's Inaki Williams.

The one-time European Cup winners want to sign a striker to increase their chances of qualifying for the continent’s premier club competition. Williams’ age, at 29 years old, isn’t a problem for Emery, who wants somebody “ready to go” at Villa Park.

This follows Football Insider's claim on 14 November that Villa are set to loan Jhon Duran out during the 2024 January transfer window. Emery has questioned the striker’s attitude at Bodymoor Heath, and a loan could be the best solution to temper both parties' frustrations. Duran has acted as backup to Ollie Watkins since he arrived at Villa Park in January 2023 and has found starting opportunities limited throughout the year.

Villa return to action on 26th November when they travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and they conclude the month with their penultimate Europa Conference League group stage clash with Legia Warszawa.