Youri Tielemans is one of the most talented players in the central midfield position at the moment and is having an impressive season with Leicester City in the English Premier League. His performance has drawn the attention of some of the biggest European clubs. La Liga giants Real Madrid seems interested in the 25-year-old. For the past five years, the Belgian International has been a mainstay in the centre of the park for Leicester City, cementing his place on the national team.
We take a look at some stats to understand why Real Madrid wants to sign the 25-year-old midfielder.
Youri Tielemans has played all 15 matches in the Premier League this season, starting 14 and coming off the bench in one. He has three goals and one assist to his name as well and has been an important figure for them in the midfield.
The above viz shows the percentile rank of Youri Tielemans compared to other right-central-midfielders in the English Premier League this season. He is ranked in the top 94.7 percentile of passes per 90 minutes and the top 89.4 percentile for received passes per 90 minutes as well. It demonstrates how important he is to the team because the ball almost always passes through him. The young midfielder is also ranked in the top 89.4 percentile for aerial duels won and the top 73.6 percentile for defensive duels won.
Youri Tielemans usually plays as a right-central midfielder or as a right-defensive midfielder and controls the midfield and the flow of the game. He likes to take the game forward and finds the right passes as well. He very rarely gets into the opposition penalty box as he is more of a deep midfielder. He likes to orchestrate the game from the middle of the park with his crosses and passes.
The above viz shows the defensive territory of Youri Tielemans. He sits deep in the midfield and makes some interceptions as well. He makes around 4.14 interceptions per game and makes around seven defensive duels per game with 62.9% success. His composure has also helped Leicester City get the ball out of tight spots. He also wins 1.31 aerial duels per game with 61.1% success.
Passing is one of Tielemans’ best attributes. He has a passing accuracy of 87% and makes around 57.85 passes per 90 minutes. He usually stays on the right side of the midfield and switches the play as well. He makes around five long passes per game with 56.5% accuracy as well. The Belgian International makes an average of 7.98 passes into the final third with a 77.3% success rate. He also makes two passes into the penalty box per game.
Another good quality of Youri Tielemans is his pressing. The above viz shows the high regains made by Youri Tielemans. The Belgian midfielder makes recoveries in the opposition half and recovers the ball 8.78 times per 90 minutes, with 41.3% of them in the attacking half. These high regain include 30 counter-pressing recoveries and eight dangerous recoveries. These recoveries have helped Leicester City launch an attack from dangerous positions.
With midfielders like Toni Kroos and Luka Modric nearing the end of their careers, Real Madrid will be looking to sign another midfielder. Tielemans, who has a similar radar to Kroos, could fill in for the German International for Los Blancos. Even though it would be almost impossible to replace the German maestro’s creativity, Tielemans makes up for it with his defensive skills.
The 25-year-old is having an impressive season with Leicester City and has impressed a lot of people. He has been a solid presence in the middle of the park and has been instrumental for both Leicester and Belgium as well. If the Los Blancos manage to sign him, he could prove to be a signing that would strengthen their midfield even more.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
