Fabrizio Romano: Arsenal in talks to sign Youri Tielemans

Arsenal have opened talks to sign Youri Tielemans with the £25m-rated midfielder set to leave Leicester City this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Mikel Arteta is expected to be busy in the transfer market over the coming months as he looks to strengthen throughout his squad having secured qualification to the Europa League next season.

Arteta worked with one of the smallest squads in the Premier League during the second half of last season but he knows Arsenal will need to bring in plenty of depth if they’re to cope with the added games next campaign.

The Gunners are expected to target at least one top class striker this summer but midfield is another area of concern as Arteta needs to bring in quality competition for the likes of Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.

Tielemans has been strongly linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium over the past year and transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has now claimed that Arsenal have opened ‘direct contacts’ to discuss a possible deal.

The journalist says the Gunners are ‘more than interested’ in signing Tielemans this summer but will face competition for his signature with two other clubs also vying for the Belgian international.

Arsenal are more than interested in Youri Tielemans as he's set to leave Leicester this summer. Gunners have opened direct contacts to explore this possibility. 🇧🇪 #AFC

There are three clubs in the race, still open – Arsenal are on it, as expected ⤵️https://t.co/vrpoi8lqXg

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 24, 2022

Tielemans has just one year remaining on his contract at the King Power and is showing no sign of penning an extension, so The Athletic claims that Arsenal hope to snap him up for just £25m.

That would present a bargain for a player of his quality in todays market. Tielemans has been a key figure since joining Leicester from Monaco in 2019 and has forged a reputation as one of the best all-round midfielders in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old would be an excellent addition to Arteta’s squad if Arsenal could secure his signature. The former Anderlecht graduate has vast experience in English football so wouldn’t need any time to adapt to life in England.

Tielemans would be a big upgrade on the likes of Mohamed Elneny and Albert Sambi Lokonga, while he could act as a replacement for Granit Xhaka should the Swiss international opt to leave the Emirates this summer.

We’ll have to wait and see how things develop over the coming weeks but Tielemans would be a terrific signing for Arsenal if they could land him for anywhere near the £25m mark.