Leicester interest in Youri Tielemans played down by Claude Puel
Monday 28 January 2019 15:10, UK
Claude Puel has played down Leicester City’s interest in Monaco midfielder Youri Tielemans, and expects Adrien Silva to remain at the club for the rest of the season.
The Foxes are believed to have been monitoring Belgium international Tielemans for some time, and he is understood to be open to a move to the Premier League.
However, Puel says he is content with the midfield options he has and has backed Adrien Silva, who joined the club for £22m in January 2018, to play a larger role in the second half of the season.
When asked about Tielemans, Puel replied: "He is a good player. He has got good attributes but I have Adrien [Silva].
"For the moment it is just speculation. We have a squad with some players with a desire for more game time.
"And I am happy about Adrien because he can give other possibilities for the team. [He offers different qualities] to [Hamza] Choudhary, [Nampalys] Mendy or [Wilfred] Ndidi.
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"Sometimes we can play with three midfielders and I think there will be an opportunity for Adrien to have game time in the second half of the season.
"We will see of course until the end of the transfer window but for me we need to have a good balance and a good squad."
One player who does appear to be set to leave Leicester before the end of the January window is midfielder Andy King.
The 30-year-old Wales international is wanted by a number of Championship clubs, including Nottingham Forest, and Puel confirmed he is happy for him to go.
"We wait and we hope we find a solution for Andy because he works hard in training and tries his best," Puel said.
"He has a professional attitude and I would like to find a solution [for him] to get game time. I have a lot of respect for Andy and it will be a good opportunity for him."
