According to reports in England, Arsenal are leading the race for Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans. The Belgian midfielder has been on Arsenal’s radar for a long time now. The Gunners tried signing him last season but a deal couldn’t materialise. This season, he’s a top priority for manager Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners are on the hunt for a central midfielder this transfer window. The new signing would provide Arteta with more depth in the middle of the park. The Spaniard currently has Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny and Albert Sambi Lokonga at his disposal. Lucas Torreira is also set to return to the Emirates after a successful stint at Fiorentina.
Arsenal have been linked to the likes of Youri Tielemans, Douglas Luiz, Ruben Neves, Marcel Sabitzer, and Florian Grillitsch. The Belgian signed for Leicester City from AS Monaco in the 2018-19 season. Since then, Tielemans has made 158 appearances for the Foxes, registering 24 goals and 24 assists (stats via Transfermarkt).
According to 90min, Arsenal are now firm favourites to sign Youri Tielemans this summer. The Gunners are confident of securing a deal to acquire the player’s services, with only a year left in his current contract at Leicester City.
The Belgian international sits on top of Mikel Arteta’s shortlist for the upcoming transfer window. The Spanish manager is pushing to sign Tielemans and has urged the Arsenal board to submit an official offer for the player. He wants to wrap up the deal as quickly as possible and move on to other targets.
Arsenal are still interested in Youri Tielemans, plans have not changed. He’s a target for the midfield – but it’s not an imminent deal as negotiations will take some time. 🇧🇪 #AFC
Two other clubs are also in the race for Tielemans, he’s gonna leave Leicester this summer.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 31, 2022
Moreover, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that the 25-year-old will switch clubs during this transfer window. Two other unnamed clubs are also reportedly interested in Tielemans. Leicester City are looking to cut their losses on the midfielder, and are willing to sell him for just £25 million. This is about half of what the 2016 League winners valued him a year ago.
Player Profile
Tielemans has largely been used as a central midfielder or as a defensive midfielder this season. The Belgian is secure with the ball and is a reliable outlet to retain the possession. His passing range and ability to pick out through balls is a massive asset.
The 25-year-old is ideal for a midfield role that allows him to pull the strings in the build-up, and link the midfield with the attack. He can also be deployed to kick-start attacks from a deeper role. Tielemans does not possess elite defensive stats. However, he is a solid defender 1v1 and can function in a double pivot or a midfield 3.
Verdict
Arsenal are also confident of securing the signature of Youri Tielemans. The reported fee of £25 million is a significantly cheaper ask compared to some of the other options the Gunners have been linked to. The Belgian would be a quality addition to Arteta’s ranks. He could work equally well in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 set-up. Tielemans could be an ideal midfield partner to Partey and Martin Odegaard.
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However, the question lies in whether Arsenal are hunting for a player to partner Thomas Partey, or to cover Partey. The former Atletico Madrid man’s injury issues have affected the performances of the whole team this season. Arsenal already have Xhaka and Lokonga who are well equipped to play alongside Partey. However, Elneny remains Arteta’s only direct substitute for the Ghanaian.
Tielemans could provide solid competition, if not displace Xhaka from the starting XI. However, it is also a requisition for the Gunners to eventually sign another midfielder, especially with the increased number of games they will have to encounter next season.
Should Arsenal sign Tielemans? Let us know in the comments.
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