TalkSPORT’s Alex Crook has tipped Arsenal to land Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans in the upcoming transfer window.
The Gunners are on the verge of clinching Champions League football for the first time since the 2016/17 season with an intriguing north London derby to come on Thursday night.
The Telegraph reported at the end of March that there would be a “healthy shake-up” at the King Power Stadium this summer with Tielemans, who is said to be knocking back contract extension attempts, in the shop window.
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Now according to Het Laatste Nieuws (via Sport Witness) Edu and company are said to be ‘crazy’ about the player and the Foxes hope to receive between £29-34m for his signature.
Speaking on the latest episode of the talkSPORT GameDay podcast, Crook said that Arsenal came close to bringing in the midfielder in January but with a top-four place almost secured they can now get the deal over the line.
He said:
(33:44) “Tieleman’s agents were at London Colney negotiating with Arsenal in January, there was even a possibility the move could have happened then.
I think they’re just waiting for Arsenal to rubber-stamp their place in the Champions League and that will be one of the first deals to be completed this summer and it’s going to be part of a big shake-up at Leicester.”
TIF Thoughts on Tielemans to Arsenal…
The Foxes spent a club-record £40m on the 25-year-old from Monaco after impressing on a six-month initial loan spell and despite being valued at £49.5m they could be forced to sell at a cut-price with his contract up at the end of next season.
Pep Guardiola has waxed lyrical about the midfield maestro in the past labelling him a “top, top-class player” and he has consistently produced from the number eight position with at least nine goal contributions per season in the Premier League since becoming a permanent Leicester player.
He was previously scouted by the club during his days at Anderlecht, and although he reportedly rejected a move to the Gunners, he has stated his reasoning behind the snub in an interview with Evening Standard back in 2017: “I knew not much was going to change with Arsenal’s squad.”
However, with the club on the brink of Champions League qualification perhaps now the move can happen.