Ian Wright feels Youri Tielemans’ drop-off in form is ‘quite sad’ amid rumours linking him with a move to Arsenal.
Leicester City ace Youri Tielemans hasn’t enjoyed the best season and Ian Wright feels his form is sad to see.
Leicester have suffered relegation to the Championship despite beating West Ham United 2-1 on Sunday afternoon.
The Foxes did all they could on the final day but Everton’s 1-0 win over Bournemouth meant they stayed up at Leicester’s expense.
It’s not that long ago since we saw Leicester challenging for the Champions League and winning the FA Cup.
Next season it will be the Championship instead and that means a number of players are likely to move on.
Midfielder Tielemans is primed to leave the club given that he is now at the end of his Leicester contract.
The Belgian has been highly rated in recent years and will become a free agent in the coming weeks.
This hasn’t been Tielemans’ best season though and Wright feels his drop in form has been ‘quite sad’.
Speaking on Wrighty’s House, Arsenal legend Wright noted that missing out on a big move last summer may have really impacted Tielemans.
Wright was dazzled by Tielemans at one point but now thinks he has been hit hard by failing to leave Leicester in 2022.
Wright now feels that Tielemans has lost some dynamism in his game and the window for that big move may have closed.
“So many of their players have hit bad form and they just can’t take the hit. Look at Tielemans,” said Wright. “Tielemans’ drop-off this season is quite sad, you know. It [missing out on a move last summer] has got to have had some effect. I thought he would have got the move and he was playing the kind of football where you’re thinking ‘yeah he can’t stay there for much longer’.”
“But what’s happened is that you watch him and he hasn’t got the dynamism that he had,” he added.
Arsenal are still being linked with Youri Tielemans
Tielemans was heavily linked with Arsenal last summer but the Gunners missed out on a deal.
Fast forward a year and Arsenal have just missed out on the Premier League and may look a little higher than Tielemans.
The rumours are still coming in; Graeme Bailey reported in February that Arsenal ‘had another sniff’ at signing Tielemans on deadline day in January.
Transfer insider Dean Jones reported in March that Arsenal have done complete background checks on Tielemans but may still dodge a move.
Arsenal do seem to have Tielemans on their radar having chased him last summer, but the two have gone in different directions.
The Gunners are looking to really push forward with some exciting signings this summer whilst Tielemans has endured possibly his worst Premier League season.
Somebody will take a punt on the 26-year-old this summer but we can’t see it being Arsenal now.
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