Arsenal need to make a final decision on Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans as they contemplate signing him in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Dean Jones.
Writing for Give Me Sport, Jones suggests that the 25-year-old is set to move on a free transfer as his contract at Leicester expires at the end of this season, and there will be no shortage of suitors.
The Gunners hold a long-term interest in the Belgium playmaker while the likes of Barcelona, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Tottenham could also consider signing him.
Tielemans wants to stay in the Premier League and join a club that can offer Champions League football. Arsenal can match his criteria perfectly, but Jones says that sources around the Emirates Stadium have informed him that the Gunners have no concrete plans to make an offer, despite completing “background checks” on the former Monaco player.
The Gunners refused to match Leicester’s £30 million valuation of the midfielder last summer and even had passed down the opportunity to sign him on a cut-price deal in the January window. And now, doubts remain whether they will at all move for the midfielder – who has scored 28 goals in 187 appearances for the Foxes in all competitions.
Better options elsewhere?
Arsenal are five points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, and they aim to build on their outstanding season with more quality additions in the summer.
The Gunners signed Jorginho from Chelsea in the January window, and Arteta should be aiming to add more depth and quality in midfield so that they can properly navigate the dual challenge of both the Premier League and the Champions League next season.
West Ham skipper Declan Rice could be a marquee signing for them next summer. Rice is almost certain to leave the Hammers after a disastrous campaign, and Arsenal could be his next destination. He won’t come cheap though, and it would require a British transfer record to land him.
Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and Manuel Locatelli of Juventus could be other options for the Gunners. Tielemans would be a cracking signing for any club on a free transfer, but it appears that he is not at the top of Arteta’s priority list.
