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Youri Tielemans remains sold in on a move to Arsenal but the Gunners have so far refused to make their interest ‘official’.
THE LOWDOWN: LONG-TERM ADMIRERS
It is no secret that Arsenal have been long-term admirers of Youri Tielemans. The Leicester City star has impressed in the Premier League since joining the Foxes in a club-record £35m deal back in 2019.
Tielemans was strongly linked with a move to the Gunners at the start of the transfer window. At some point, it even seemed like he would go on to become the club’s first summer signing.
That interest has since cooled down, as Arsenal opted to go for another midfield name instead in Fabio Vieira, with the Gunners happy to splash 34m on the Portuguese attacker.
Arsenal’s interest in Tielemans remains well documented but it is difficult to say whether the club still see such a signing as a ‘necessity’, given their transfer activity so far.
The Gunners are yet to make an official bid for the Leicester City man and it could yet see them miss out on the 25-year-old, with Manchester United also rumored to be in the mix for his signature.
THE LATEST: DEAL PLACED ON ‘HOLD’
Arsenal’s move for Tielemans is no longer straightforward, as it now hinges on several other factors. As per the Daily Mail, the Gunners will put their plans to sign the midfielder on hold until they effect more departures.
Arsenal have already brought in four players, with Oleksandr Zinchenko set to become the fifth after a deal was agreed with Manchester City. On the flip side, the club is yet to see any major outgoings, except for the 10m received for the permanent sale of Mateo Guendouzi to Marseille.
Before the club will look to add players again, they must now sort out players with uncertain futures, with the likes of Bernd Leno, Lucas Torreira, Pablo Mari and possibly Hector Bellerin strongly in this category.
James Benge of CBS Sports adds that Arsenal and Leicester City are somewhere around £5m apart in their valuation of Tielemans. However, the imminent signing of Zinchenko, who can also play in midfield, somewhat complicates the situation further.
VERDICT: ARSENAL DON’T NEED TO RUSH
Tielemans will be a great addition to the squad but as it stands, his signing will come as a luxury more than anything. It makes sense for Arsenal to now try and sort their own outgoings before looking to bring in any more players.
For the fact that Tielemans’ contract will expire in 2023 and Leicester need to make funds, there is a growing sense they will be forced to sell regardless. The positive is that the 25-year-old is reportedly a fan of the project at Arsenal and is already sold in on a move to the Emirates stadium.
Speaking on the player’s situation days ago, Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers refused to give anything away but his comments did hint that the club are preparing for his possible departure.
“There’s no update at all,” Rodgers said when asked about the player’s future.
“He’s an amazing guy to work with. He’s happy in his work and he’s happy at the club.”
“But naturally, with a year in his contract, he may feel he has to look at everything for him and his family.”
“I’ll have a good chat with Youri next week to get privately what he’s thinking. But it won’t change, whether he’s leaving or staying for another five years, he’ll still be super committed.”
