Belgium boss Domenico Tedesco has been urged to drop Youri Tielemans as the Aston Villa summer signing struggles to force his way into the Premier League club’s starting XI.
When Youri Tielemans joined Aston Villa from Leicester City over the summer, he probably didn’t expect that – two months into the new season – his only starts under Unai Emery would have come against Legia Warsaw, Hibernian, Zrinjski Mostar and Everton in the Carabao Cup.
The former Leicester City ace has spoken publicly about his frustration with regards to his benchwarming role at Villa Park (The Sun). Though it’s fair to say that, when he has been handed a chance to impress, Tielemans has done little to suggest that Boubacar Kamara, Douglas Luiz and the outstanding John McGinn have reason to glance nervously over their own shoulders.
Belgium legend Franky van der Elst, meanwhile, wonders if Tielemans’ struggles at club level could bleed onto the international stage. 18-year-old Royal Antwerp wonderkid Arthur Vermeeren now breathing down his neck.
Youri Tielemans struggling at Aston Villa
“Vermeeren is certainly worthy of an international chance. In December last year, I said it was too early. But he now has almost fifty matches under his belt,” Van der Elst tells Gazet van Antwerpen, the teenager helping fire Antwerp to their first domestic title in 1957 before impressing in the Champions League.
“I think he can join the list of players like (Enzo) Scifo, (Vincent) Kompany and (Anthony) Vanden Borre, who made their debut at the age of 18 or even younger.
“The places (in Tedesco’s squad) are of course valuable. But you cannot say that Youri Tielemans is currently playing at the top of his game. He is on the bench at Aston Villa every week.
“Vermeeren could take his place. He deserves it more.”
Aston Villa avoid Europa League shock
Tielemans produced one of his better Aston Villa performances as Emery’s side left it fashionably late to see off Zrinjski Mostar in the Europa League on Thursday night.
But, still, it is difficult to dispel the notion that he remains a shadow of the player who scored that stunning long-range winner in the FA Cup final just two years ago.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
