Arsenal want Youri Tielemans from Leicester City for a quoted £40million according to David Ornstein, one of the most reliable sources in football today. Arsenal moved closer to finishing fourth in the Premier League, which provides them with a Champions League qualification spot. The Gunners have become increasingly more active in their pursuit of new players who can help them achieve greater heights in the coming season.
Tielemans has been a mainstay at the King Power stadium since 2019 after his loan stint from Monaco was turned permanent for a reported £33 million (according to Transfermarkt). The 25-year-old has largely impressed everyone over in England and across the globe with consistent defensive and offensive output for Leicester. The Belgian mainly plays as a central midfielder for the Leicester side in a double pivot with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who burst into the Leicester first team in the second half of this season. Tielemans mainly plays as a central midfielder who often gets slotted into defensive midfield when the need arises due to his defensive prowess and sincerity. However, that doesn’t take anything away from his offensive capabilities, as the Belgian is Leicester’s third-highest goalscorer in the Premier League with 6 goals and 3 assists. Solid in attack, solid in defence, Tielemans’ progression of the ball and pass accuracy are assets for any team. According to Fbref, Tielemans makes 47.4 carries of the ball from defence to offence per 90 and makes 61.6 accurate passes per game.
Arsenal’s regular midfield currently features the likes of Thomas Partey, Martin Ødegaard, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka, and Albert Sambi Lokonga. The addition of Tielemans could prove to be a major upgrade to most players on this list and can provide some healthy competition in the squad, with players needing to perform better to guarantee their names in the first team. With the Belgian priced at £40million, a reasonable price tag for a high-profile Premier League midfielder, it would make sense for the Gunners to secure his services.
However, the North London club can face stiff competition from the champions of Spain, Real Madrid. The Spanish club could swoop in to take Tielemans off Arteta’s hands if his side doesn’t make it to the Champions League. The Gunners sit in a comfortable position after their North London rivals drew against Liverpool, allowing Arsenal to strengthen their hold on the 4th position, four points clear of Tottenham Hotspur in 5th.
See More:
With Granit Xhaka’s future at the Emirate uncertain and Elneny’s contract set to expire next year, investing in talent like Youri Tielemans could be a safe bet for Arsenal, who would hope to go to the next level and perform at a higher level than they did this season. Securing a Champions League spot would tip the scales in their favour since the player would get a chance to play in the CL and get to feature regularly in the first team lineup, which would’ve been a question mark at a side like Real Madrid.
Follow AD for the Latest Transfer Updates for Arsenal.
