Youri Tielemans exit already mooted at Aston Villa as Unai Emery speaks out on row

Youri Tielemans’ heated moment with Unai Emery against Fenerbahce may have just added to concerns at Aston Villa even more.

Villa beat Fenerbahce 1-0 in the Europa League on Thursday, in a classic away performance.

Emery‘s side soaked in 63 per cent of the Turkish outfit’s possession, with Jadon Sancho’s goal proving the pivotal moment.

However, when Tielemans was substituted in the dying minutes of the game, Emery was spotted putting his hands on the Aston Villa star.

There have been growing worries about the Belgian’s future at B6, and everything may now be aligning for his exit, with Saudi Arabian clubs waiting.

Multiple Saudi clubs want Youri Tielemans

Tielemans is yet to sign a new contract with Villa, despite several of his teammates doing so already this season.

There has been speculation that the 28-year-old could be waiting for one last big career move, but the Villans’ recent success may have put a stall on his thinking.

According to talkSPORT on Thursday, clubs in the Saudi Pro League are monitoring the potential of signing Tielemans.

This comes after the news that a major change is expected after the 2026 World Cup, with Saudi clubs keen on attracting up to 50 of Europe’s top stars.

Youri Tielemans stats vs Fenerbahce.
Credit: Imago

Tielemans is a key player for Villa, but the moment with Emery comes at a terrible time, considering the transfer interest.

What did Unai Emery say about Tielemans incident?

Big-name players move to Saudi Arabia to sign contracts that have lucrative earnings that simply cannot be turned down. It would be no different with Tielemans.

However, Emery spoke out about the moment with his star midfielder, and his response could be seen as open-ended.

Emery said: “He’s my son, he’s my son,” with a wry smile on his face.

While it’s quite likely that Emery reacted in the moment of a heated period in the game, there’s been no update on how Tielemans feels about the situation.

Villa fans will have to see how this story pans out, because it doesn’t feel like it’s done yet.

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