Arsenal target Youri Tielemans will agree a move to the Emirates Stadium if Champions League football is on offer, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.
THE LOWDOWN: TIELEMANS PURSUIT
According to the Evening Standard, securing that coveted position could prove crucial in their pursuit of the Belgian as the Leicester midfielder is desperate to seal a move to a club competing in Europe’s top competition.
The report suggests the 49-cap Belgium international, who has been identified as one of the north Londoners’ top targets heading into the summer, could be lured away from the King Power Stadium by lodging a bid worth in the region of £30m.
Arsenal are not Tielemans’ only suitors as arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur who are in the driving seat for Champions League football – along with La Liga duo Barcelona and Real Madrid – have been keeping tabs on his situation over the past year.
However, with the club’s grip on a top-four spot loosening quickly, their belief in acquiring the Belgian star may take a huge hit.
THE LATEST: IF ARSENAL QUALIFIED
Crook understands that Tielemans’ representatives already headed to Arsenal’s training ground earlier in the season and terms were agreed.
However, the journalist warns the 25-year-old’s move could hinge on whether the Gunners bag a place in Europe’s top club competition.
He told GIVEMESPORT:
“I think when we spoke in January, we talked about the fact that his agent had already been down at London Colney to thrash out terms.
“I was told a week or so ago that if Arsenal qualified for the top four, it was almost a done deal. If there was Champions League football he would sign the contract.”
THE VERDICT: CAN ONLY HOPE
Tielemans, a proven Premier League playmaker, would inject real creativity into Mikel Arteta’s midfield, with Man City boss Pep Guardiola even calling the 24-year-old a “top, top-class player”.
On a reported £120k-per-week, he wouldn’t exactly break the club’s wage structure, with the only obstacle being just how much the Foxes could demand this summer.
The latest reports suggest Tielemans could cost a cut-price somewhere in and around the £30m mark due to his contract situation.
However, with the Champions League unlikely to be on offer, then the Gunners can only hope that the Belgian still chooses a move to the red part of north London this summer.
If Spurs manage to grab the Foxes star from under Arsenal’s noses, it will surely be a damaging blow to Arteta.
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