TFW Transfer Targets: 3 central midfielders Leicester City could sign to replace Youri Tielemans

In an ideal world both Youri Tielemans and James Maddison sign new contracts and we add one more high calibre young dynamic midfielder to complement them. But here we are.

The Fosse Way

21 November 2022

The reality is that the next central midfielder we sign is to replace Youri Tielemans, which is a horrible prospect. In an ideal world both he and James Maddison sign new contracts and we add one more high calibre young dynamic midfielder to complement them. But here we are.

Orkun Kökcü

Club: Feyenoord

Age: 21 years old

Been linked to Leicester before. Tick.

Plays the game very much like Tielemans. Tick.

Captains his side at a young age and already has played 150+ games, international and European games. Tick.

This lad has been my go-to Tielemans replacement for over a year now. He’s most things Youri is but with a bit more zip about his game, he’s got decent pace to cover vast amounts of the pitch.

Not so sure he’s as good as him just yet – those tacit skills and reading of the game that Tielemans possesses are rare but he’d cushion the blow. He scores goals (7 already this season), he creates, he dictates play. Scarily in the 99th percentiles for shots, xG assists, shot creating actions, passes attempted, progressive passes, thats absolutely astonishing.

He’d be a great signing.

9/10

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Enzo Le Fée

Club: Lorient

Age: 22 years old

Imagine Dragon’s Den with Brendan Rodgers and Martyn Glover as Theo Paphitis and Deborah Meaden. Enzo Le Fée steps in to the lair and there’s a giant screen behind him showing his highlights reel.

KER-CHING.

I’m telling you now, this lad is a machine. He is Premier League ready. He somehow combines creativity and playmaking prowess (upper 90th percentiles for shot creating actions, dribbles completed, xAG) with a combative and defensive robustness (he’s in the 91st percentile for tackles won) that means he can play anything from a 10/8/6 role.

He can do the deep lying sitting job, the playmaker, the box to box, the support striker role, he’s Denzel Washington in Man on Fire.

When looking at his stats I had to go upstairs and make sure I wasn’t laying in bed asleep and this was all a dream.

We’ve been credited recently with an interest in him, he’s a buy at all costs IMO.

9.5/10

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Evander

Club: FC Midtjylland

Age: 24 years old

Will Leicester City ever sign a Brazilian footballer? It’s actually easier to sign such players plying their trade back in South America than it is if they are based in Scandinavia due to the new work permit rules in recent years.

However, Evander has been gaining a cult following in Denmark because he’s absolute mustard.

Very much like Kökcü and Le Fée, he runs the show from central midfield. His performances in the Europa League this season have been a step up in class and he’s proven he can handle it.

Therefore, I think he’s got the craftsmanship and stomach to cope with a move to the East Midlands, where culinary delights such as chicken balti pie cobs await him.

7.5/10

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