Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Youri Tielemans but are in still in talks to finalize a deal with Leicester City, who currently have the Belgian on their books for the final season before his contract expires.
The Gunners have been in talks with Leicester for a while now and were reportedly set to secure a swift deal after the international break but the move has seemingly stalled. However, Arsenal are still determined to sign the midfielder and will do everything to negotiate a £25m purchase with the Foxes, who want at least £30m for their star player.
The club have long been watching Tielemans, but they are aware they need to work hard and work quickly to bring in the Brazilian talent of Jesus and Raphinha, who would surely be splendid purchases upfront.
Arsenal could do with reinforcing their midfield, but it perhaps makes more sense to prioritize attack given that Nicolas Pepe’s form has been poor and both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette have departed the team recently.
Sky Sports News claimed Arsenal have cooled their interest in Tielemans after splashing out £34m on attacking midfielder Fabio Vieira from Porto but this isn’t the case.
Arsenal have a plan and it involves waiting. They want to see how things play out with Tielemans over the coming weeks, and they hope they will be able to get him at an affordable price later in the window. It’s risky, because he may get his head turned if another club expresses an interest before Arsenal can do so. But, if conducted properly, this kind of move could end up being beneficial for the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta’s men will travel to Selhurst Park to play against Crystal Palace on the 5th of August for their first Premier League game of 2022/2023 season.