(Credit: Imago)

Evan Shaw

Fri 10 April 2026 11:30, UK

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Aston Villa must be ready to do everything in their power to keep hold of midfielder Youri Tielemans ahead of this summer’s transfer window.

The Belgian has been a key performer for Unai Emery’s side during their rise in recent years, and he notched two assists in their 3-1 win over Bologna in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The 28-year-old set up the first and last goals as Villa secured a commanding lead in Italy after the first leg of their quarter-final tie, leaving them well-placed to progress on home turf next week.

Tielemans’ future has been called into question at times in recent months, such is the quality that he provides, but the second city outfit are expected to instead try and tie him down to a new contract.

Aston Villa’s transfer plans for the summer are set to see them try to strengthen their hand once again, and losing Tielemans is seen as being out of the question for them.

Youri Tielemans transfer interest set to grow

Football Insider revealed back in December that Aston Villa are planning talks with Tielemans over a new contract, with his current deal set to enter its final two years at the end of the season.

They must surely now be ready to step those plans up a level and accelerate towards an agreement, after he ran the show during their victory in Bologna.

The former Leicester man created a stunning four chances throughout the 90 minutes, a tally which was better than every other player on the pitch.

He also chipped in with four defensive contributions and won 50 per cent of his duels, as Emery’s men held out until stoppage time before conceding.

Tielemans effectively controlled a European quarter-final, and performances of that ilk on such a big stage are sure to have some of the continent’s top clubs keeping a close eye on him this summer.

Football Insider recently revealed that the midfielder is ready to reject any advances from Saudi Arabian clubs this summer, but it could potentially be a different story if a member of Europe’s elite came to the table.

With that in mind, it is surely in Villa’s interest to accelerate those contract talks as much as possible after the latest evidence they have received.

Tielemans’ injuries will be a big concern for Aston Villa

The influence that Tielemans exerts over Villa as a team is notable, but his injury record may be providing one slight concern when it comes to his future.

He has missed 23 games for club and country through injury this season, significantly more than in any other campaign during his senior career.

That could merely be a case of him being hit by bad luck this term, or it could be a concerning sign that his body is starting to deteriorate as he reaches his prime years.

That is unlikely to be a big enough concern for Villa to look to sell him any time soon, but it will undoubtedly be something that the medical team are keen to keep a close eye on.