CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs says that Arsenal’s reported interest in Leicester City central midfielder Youri Tielemans ‘hasn’t gone away’.
The Lowdown: Mudryk incoming?
Reports emerged on Monday night that Arsenal are closing in on the signing of winger Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk.
He has already agreed in principle to move to the Emirates Stadium, and now it seems like a deal could be struck this week.
It remains to be seen whether the Gunners will try to sign anyone else in this window, having held a long-standing interest in Tielemans.
The Latest: Tielemans interest remains
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs says that the North London club’s interest in Tielemans ‘hasn’t gone away’, despite recent links to fellow Premier League rivals Newcastle United:
“It’s very interesting because we know that Arsenal’s interest in Tielemans hasn’t gone away. The price just hasn’t been right for them historically. So, it would be logical that they would wait for him on a free transfer.
“But if a club like Newcastle choose to come calling, it changes the dynamic and it forces Arsenal to make a decision. Are they prepared to pay a fee for Tielemans? If not, they would have to wait and see whether or not he would go elsewhere mid-season or wait for them to come calling when he’s available on a free transfer.”
The Verdict: Get it done?
Tielemans’ contract at Leicester expires in the summer, meaning that he would likely be available for a cut price in January.
Lauded by his manager Brendan Rodgers as an ‘outstanding player’ and ‘one of Europe’s top midfielders’, he ranks in the 87th percentile for average blocks, 85th percentile for shot-creating actions, 84th for tackles and 83rd percentile for passes attempted per game among his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year (FBRef).
The Belgium international still has not reached his peak yet at 25 years of age, and given his Premier League experience, he would be a shrewd signing by Mikel Arteta’s side alongside Mudryk.
