Liverpool’s squad evolution saw the club welcome four new midfield signings in the summer, but it was early on in the window when many fans were hopeful of a potential move for Youri Tielemans.

The Belgium international eventually joined Aston Villa on a free transfer, but things haven’t quite gone to plan since he made the switch from the Foxes to the Villans. He has played just 94 minutes in the Premier League across four substitute appearances.

Against Liverpool last time out, he completed just 10 passes in his 18-minute spell in the second half. It’s been quite the contrast from the 31 top-flight matches he starred in for Leicester City last season.

And the 26-year-old voiced his frustration at the current situation while on international duty at the pre-match press conference ahead of Belgium’s European Championship qualifier against Azerbaijan.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the clash, as quoted by Goal, Tielemans said:

“The situation is not pleasant. I told the coach that I came to Villa to play. He understands me, but at the moment he prefers to play with his two midfielders from last season.

“He told me that soon the games will come one after the other and I’ll get more playing time. I know this answer doesn’t get me anywhere, but what am I supposed to do?”

Unable to get into Unai Emery’s first team ahead of Boubacar Kamara or Douglas Luiz, the Belgian has wasted no time before speaking to the press. From a fan’s perspective, it is admirable to see his honesty regarding his situation, though some could be critical of the timing.

Only four games have been played in the Premier League so far, and like with many new signings, there is sometimes a need for a period of acclimatizing to a new system. But given the difference in class between Liverpool and Aston Villa last time around, perhaps that is why Tielemans feels that he should be starting for Unai Emery’s side.

You would think, given the 33,600 minutes he has amassed at just 26 years old, Tielemans might be grateful for the break. That’s one thing Liverpool and FSG might have borne in mind, with the Belgian having played a frankly absurd amount of football relative to his age. By comparison, Alexis Mac Allister (25 later this year) has 12,200 career minutes to his name.

With the similarities in style, Tielemans would likely have been deployed in a similar role to Mac Allister had he arrived on Merseyside. However, despite being a free transfer, and with the benefit of having seen Mac Allister’s performances early on, it looks as though the Argentina star was clearly the better option for FSG.

Tielemans would also have been competing with Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott for minutes in midfield. Both Liverpool academy graduates have shone of late, with performances that the Belgian would have had difficulty in bettering.

In a social media era where fans are quick to demand which players are bought and sold, Tielemans is among the latest stars to see a move go wrong. Klopp has shown that patience can prevail in the transfer market, and that when Liverpool sees a target who fits the system, FSG won’t be afraid to make an approach.

That was proven with the deals for Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, who both look to be transfer calls that the Reds aced in the summer, while Ryan Gravenberch, whose ceiling is just as high, could secure a hat-trick for Liverpool’s transfer team. Free or not, Tielemans was not the value play for FSG.