Arsenal ‘renew Youri Tielemans interest’ as Gunners try to sign midfielder on the cheap

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Arsenal have reignited their interest in Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans ahead of the summer transfer window but face competition from Manchester United, it has been claimed. Tielemans is set to leave Leicester at the end of the season after rejecting a contract extension at the King Power Stadium.

The 24-year-old’s current deal is up in 2023, so Leicester will want to cash in on his services later this year to prevent risking losing one of their leading stars on a free transfer. And he is unsurprisingly attracting heavyweight interest from elsewhere in the Premier League.

According to Belgian outlet Nieuwsblad, Arsenal will renew their interest in signing Tielemans this summer amid talk he’s heading for the exit door. And the Gunners hope to seal his signature for a cut-price fee, considering his precarious contract situation in the Midlands.

It has also been claimed elsewhere that Mikel Arteta is willing to let Lucas Torreira, currently on loan at Fiorentina, leave on a permanent basis ahead of the 2022/23 season. Mohamed Elneny is also expected to depart, with no negotiations to extend his current deal at the Emirates Stadium taking place as of yet.

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Tielemans would slot straight into Arteta’s midfield regiment, likely receiving a regular starting berth as part of the double pivot in his preferred 4-2-3-1 system. The prospect of the Belgium international joining Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka and Albert Sambi Lokonga as options is sure to excite supporters.

However, he could face a transfer dilemma if United also comes knocking in their widely-documented search for a new midfielder this summer. The Red Devils want to sign a defensive-minded midfielder and a natural replacement for Paul Pogba, who is primed to leave as a free agent in June.

But Arsenal could have the upper hand in the battle for Tielemans’ services if they beat United to a top-four spot and have Champions League football to offer next season. Reports even suggest the north London giants have already held talks with the box-to-box midfield ace’s representatives in their January search for reinforcements.

Arteta has stuck to a future-focused transfer policy since replacing Unai Emery as Arsenal manager, bringing the likes of Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes and Martin Odegaard to the club. And Tielemans would be the latest eye-catching signing as the Spaniard continues his mission to propel the Gunners back amongst Europe’s elite.

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