Arsenal & Man Utd boosted in race to sign Youri Tielemans

Arsenal and Manchester United have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Youri Tielemans after he rejected a new contract at Leicester City, according to reports.

Tielemans has been a key figure for Leicester since joining the club from Monaco in 2019. He’s been a vital part of their starting eleven and netted the winner to lift the FA Cup with victory over Chelsea last season.

However, the Belgian international’s future at the King Power Stadium is in serious doubt. Tielemans has less than 18 months left to go on his current contract and the Foxes are no closer to tying him down to a new deal.

Arsenal talks

The situation has led to interest from rival Premier League clubs with Goal reporting last month that Arsenal had held talks with Tielemans’ agent at London Colney.

Mikel Arteta is in the market for midfield reinforcements as Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka are expected to leave this summer. Tielemans has emerged as a prime target for Arsenal but they’ll face stiff competition for his signature.

Manchester United have also been strongly linked with the 24-year-old in recent months. The Daily Star reported recently that United have identified Tielemans as a summer target as they look to overhaul their squad.

Paul Pogba could walk away for nothing when his contract expires in June while Donny van de Beek has left on loan after failing to establish himself. Nemanja Matic turns 34 this year so a long-term replacement is needed and it appears Tielemans is on Man Utd’s radar.

Huge boost

Interested parties have now been handed a major boost as transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claims that Tielemans has decided not to sign any contract extension at the King Power.

It means Leicester will be forced to cash-in this summer rather than risk losing him for nothing and the Daily Mail says they’ve now dropped their asking price to £35m.

That would represent an excellent deal for the likes of Arsenal or Man Utd so it’s no wonder they are showing a keen interest in the midfielder ahead of the summer window.

We’ll have to wait and see how things develop over the coming months but it looks like Tielemans will be on the market this summer with Arsenal and Manchester United vying for his signature.