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Leicester City are still hoping to sign midfielder Youri Tielemans, but are having to play a waiting game as Monaco asses their options.

City have been in talks with the French side over making Tielemans’ loan spell permanent since before the end of last season, following the arrival of Brendan Rodgers as manager.

Those communications have been ongoing since the end of the season as a swap deal involving Adrien Silva heading to Monaco, after his successful loan stay in the south of France, is still on the table.

However, interest has come from several other clubs, reportedly Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United, following the impact Tielemans made in the Premier League and Monaco are stalling on City’s offer to see if the interest turns into concrete offers.

Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim made the decision to allow Tielemans to leave Monaco as he didn’t believe he could help their relegation fight from Ligue 1, and Monaco look certain to cash in on their £21 million signing, and are expecting a much higher figure, closer to £40 million, for Tielemans now after his success in the richest league in the world.

City still want Tielemans as Rodgers looks to bring in two number eights to compliment his attacking midfield but will be drawing up a list of alternatives if they do miss out and Monaco instigate a bidding war.

Rodgers will be hoping the attraction of taking Silva will sweeten City’s offer because of his relationship with fellow Portuguese Jardim, but the Premier League’s big hitters may be able to offer huge lump sums.

Tielemans has always flat-batted questions about his future and his preferred options, and in an interview with a Belgian television station he said he preferred life in Leicester to the bling of Monaco, but admitted he didn’t know if he wanted to return to City.

The lure of European football is understood to be strong for Tielemans.

“I am assuming that I will return to Monaco this summer, unless something is still moving, but currently that is not the case,” he previously said.

“If it goes really well, you want to keep it that way of course. I don't know how it's going to happen or how much Monaco is going to ask, so I can't answer that right now.

“I want to stay in a positive atmosphere, that's normal, but specifically here, I don't know.

(Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City via Getty Images)

“There have been conversations but what the end story will be I don’t know.”

For now City will be patient in their pursuit of Tielemans in the hope that as the summer progresses a deal will become more likely, but they will be lining up other targets.