Arsenal favourites to seal Youri Tielemans transfer with Leicester midfielder targeted as Arteta’s side fight for title
ARSENAL are reportedly the frontrunners to sign Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans.
The Gunners were linked with a move for the 25-year-old Belgian during the summer window.
GettyTielemans is being heavily linked with a move away from Leicester[/caption]
Manchester United and Juventus were also thought to be interested, but the East Midlands outfit managed to keep hold of their man.
However, his current contract expires at the end of the season, leading to speculation surrounding his future.
And according to The Mirror, Arsenal are the favourites to seal a deal for the former Anderlecht and Monaco man.
A summer move is thought to be the most likely time for Tielemans to join Arsenal – who currently sit top of the Premier League.
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But SunSport revealed last week that the Gunners are planning a £50million January spending spree.
They are being linked with the likes of Danilo, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Yeremy.
And Tielemans could be bundled in with those other names as a cut-price target in the mid-season window.
Juventus are thought to have pulled out of the race to sign the midfielder.
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But, earlier this month, Liverpool reportedly joined the race for his signature.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has previously insisted the club do not need to sell Tielemans – although they may not have a choice if his contract expires.
When asked about his situation, the Foxes manager said: “It’s not something we are thinking of [selling Tielemans] and not anything the club have said we need to do.
“We don’t want to be offloading our best players, that’s for sure. So there has been no hint or indication we need to generate money and move him on. But, of course, there’s a business side to the club that they will look at.
“We have a number of players out of contract come the end of the season. My focus has been on working with him and getting out of the situation we are in. So everything else is not really spoken about from my perspective.
“We had a number of long chats in the summer. There is clearly no doubt even a young guy who is clearly focused like Youri and very professional, it can have an impact. But he has been fully focused.
“He doesn’t let that affect him. He is a top-class professional. He sees the game how I see it.
“On the field he understands what is happening within the game and that’s all he can do, give his very best. His recent performances have been excellent.”
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Tielemans joined Leicester in 2019 and has contributed 26 goals and 25 assists in 172 appearances, winning the FA Cup with the club in 2021.
He has also received 54 caps for the Belgium national team, netting five times.
