Arsenal still want Youri Tielemans and the Leicester City midfielder is expecting to be a Gunner by the end of the transfer window.
The Gunners have splashed the cash on one new midfielder this summer by bringing in playmaker Fabio Vieira from Porto.
That’s a hugely exciting move for Arsenal and provides the possibility of playing with two creative maestros in Vieira and Martin Odegaard.
There could still be room for one more midfield signing though as Arsenal continue to be linked with a move for Tielemans.
Arsenal still want Youri Tielemans
Arsenal have been linked with Tielemans throughout the summer and many thought that the interest would wane with Vieira on board.
Yet reports from The Sun on Wednesday suggested that Arsenal are preparing to make a new £30million move for Tielemans.
Arsenal are allegedly confident of securing Tielemans after all, adding more quality to their midfield ranks.
Fabrizio Romano has offered another update today, telling Caught Offside that Tielemans expects to be an Arsenal player.
Romano does though add that other clubs have been interested in signing Tielemans and have made moves for him in recent days.
Arsenal will therefore need to be quick if they want to sign Tielemans, even if the Belgian thinks he will be joining the Gunners.
Tielemans is out of contract in 2023 and Leicester may be willing to sell now rather than lose him for nothing next year having so far failed to agree a new deal.
The 25-year-old has become something of a contract rebel due to this stand-off and may be ready for something new elsewhere after spent three-and-a-half years with leicester.
Everything seems to be pointing towards Arsenal right now, though whether Mikel Arteta would dare to play a midfield three of Tielemans, Vieira and Odegaard remains to be seen.
That would be very attack-minded and Tielemans may not quite have the athletic ability to be Arsenal’s most defensive midfield option.
When Tielemans has been at his best for Leicester, it has been with the defensively-brilliant Wilfried Ndidi doing the dirty work.
That’s something for Arteta to consider, but the value for Tielemans may simply be too good to pass up for Arsenal.
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