Graham Potter’s Chelsea could make a move for Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans, a player Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal also want, according to CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs on the the Chelsea365 podcast.
The well-known and well-respected journalist has reported that Arsenal are keen on signing Tielemans, who played for Belgium at the 2022 Qatar World Cup and is out of contract at Premier League rivals Leicester City at the end of the season.
Jacobs has said that Chelsea themselves could make a move for the £120,000-a-week (SalarySport) 25-year-old midfielder.
According to the Mirror, Arsenal plan to make an attempt in the January transfer window to convince Leicester to sell Tielemans in the middle of the season instead of having to wait until the summer of 2023 to snap him up on a free.
Potential Chelsea threat to Arsenal for Youri Tielemans
Jacobs said, as transcribed by The Chelsea Chronicle: “If you’re going to sign [Declan] Rice in the summer, does that then shift the desire to find more of an attacking midfielder in January? The answer to that question might well be yes.
“A dark horse to keep an eye on is someone maybe like a Youri Tielemans, who Arsenal are considering on a free transfer if he doesn’t sign a new deal at Leicester in the summer of 2023.
“Potentially a suitor could put down a low value offer that they think is a bargain hoping that Leicester take it rather than lose the player on a free.
“Chelsea haven’t made any significant advances on this front, but that’s one to watch.”
What next?
It will be interesting to see what happens with Youri Tielemans in the middle of the season, and if Arsenal and/or Chelsea make bids for the Leicester City midfielder.
We do not think that the Belgium international midfielder will sign a new deal with Leicester.
If the 25-year-old really wanted to stay at the former Premier League champions beyond the end of the season, then he would have put pen to paper by now.
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