Man Utd eye move for Arsenal target Youri Tielemans

Manchester United could hijack Arsenal’s proposed move for Youri Tielemans and have held talks with the midfielders agent, according to Fabrizio Romano via football365.

Tielemans is in the final year of his contract at Leicester City and has made it clear he won’t be signing an extension. The Foxes are ready to cash-in rather than risk losing the midfielder for nothing in 12 months time.

Arsenal have long been linked with a move for the 25-year-old and CBS Sports’ Ben Jacobs claimed recently that Tielemans has already agreed personal terms with the North London giants.

Jacobs went on to say the player is now waiting for the two clubs to agree a fee with the Sun suggesting that Arsenal are looking to wrap-up a deal worth in the region of £30m.

However, no formal offer has been put on the table by Arsenal yet and that could open the door for Manchester United to swoop in and hijack their proposed move for Tielemans.

Fabrizio Romano claims that Tielemans is on United’s list of back-up options in-case they fail to get a deal for Frenkie de Jong over the line. Man Utd have been locked in negotiations with Barcelona but the midfielder’s £17m deferred wages is proving to be a major headache.

Talks held

The Red Devils may decide to walk away and pursue alternatives, and Romano suggests that they are working on a potential deal for Tielemans in the background. And the Italian journalist says United have already held talks with the players agent.

Romano told the Wondergoal Podcast:

“At the moment, Man Utd are keeping it quiet because they also want to show to Frenkie de Jong that he’s the Plan A, B and C. So, it’s normal to see Man Utd on this position.

“But as always in top clubs they explore many possibilities and many options so it’s absolutely normal to have a list of players.

“I want to keep an eye, for example, on Youri Tielemans. What happens with Youri Tielemans is really important I think because I think he’s been really close to joining Arsenal and then they never submitted a proposal.

“Tielemans is still waiting for Arsenal but his agents have had conversations with Man Utd a few months ago.

“Man Utd always had this player on their radar. It is a very good opportunity because he’s out of contract with Leicester next summer. So this is an interesting opportunity for many clubs, discussing about the fee and the budget.

“It depends on the opportunities but today it is still Frenkie, Frenkie, Frenkie. And Tielemans could be together with Ruben Neves, some of the names they’re exploring.”

Man Utd are bound to get frustrated if there isn’t a breakthrough with de Jong soon, and that may lead to them stepping-up their interest in Tielemans.

The Belgian international would be a much cheaper option compared to de Jong and with his vast Premier League experience, he may be a less risky option, too.

We’ll have to wait and see how things develop over the coming weeks but Arsenal may want to act quickly if they really want to sign Tielemans this summer without serious competition for his signature.