Insider Dean Jones has revealed that Arsenal are ‘still plotting’ a possible late transfer move for midfielder Youri Tielemans.
The Belgium international has long been linked with the Gunners, but there was talk a while back that interest had cooled, and with only a few weeks remaining in the window, a deal remains in doubt.
However, according to Jones, it seems as though a move to Arsenal could yet happen this summer if the club can deal with ‘two outstanding issues’ within their current squad.
While speaking about the Leicester City man on The Football Terrace’s The Done Deal Show, he explained: “I spoke to someone last night [Sunday] who is well-connected there, and they are still plotting a potential late move for Tielemans in this window.
“And now this is all dependent on a couple of factors. I’m told there are basically two outstanding issues that they’re exploring within their current squad.
“And the outcome of those two situations will dictate whether they actually go ahead and make this bid for Tielemans.”
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While Jones does not actually clarify what these factors are, it’s quite possible that they may relate to players Arsenal could want to sell.
Indeed, the Gunners have been trying to get rid of many individuals this summer and have already been able to move on the likes of Bernd Leno, Lucas Torreira, Pablo Mari, Alexandre Lacazette, Alex Runarsson, Mattéo Guendouzi and Nuno Tavares – though some just on loan.
Despite that, they still have a number of options in the middle of the park such as Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Thomas Partey. So it may well depend on a sale or loan in midfield before Tielemans can come in, though none of these players appear close to an exit at present.
Still, with the Leicester man struggling to impress in his club’s recent defeat against the Gunners, we wonder if Mikel Arteta would even be that desperate to push for a deal.