Arsenal have been boosted in their quest to sign Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans, with journalist Paul Brown providing a fresh update over the player's future.

The Lowdown: Arsenal keen on Tielemans

The 25-year-old has stood out as a key player for the Foxes for some time now - Emile Heskey has called him 'fantastic' - proving to be an influential figure at the heart of their midfield.

Arsenal have been consistently linked with a move for Tielemans in recent transfer windows, with Mikel Arteta viewing him as someone who could take his team up another level.

A new update suggests the Belgium international could be heading to pastures new sooner rather than later.

The Latest: Exit on the cards?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Brown claimed that Tielemans could wait until he is a free agent to move on, allowing Arsenal to snap him up on the cheap.

The journalist said of the Leicester maestro:

"I’m sure he’s caught a lot of people’s eye but, it seems from what we’re told, Tielemans is going to wait until he hits the open market as a free agent, which a lot of players do like to do these days. His contract is running down. He’s going to have his pick of clubs.

"I think there will be several others, both in the Premier League and abroad, who may decide to come in for him."

The Verdict: Next piece of the jigsaw?

There is sure to be a fierce battle for Tielemans whenever he becomes available - his current Leicester deal expires next summer - but Arsenal could well be among the front-runners to snap him up, given their added lure as Premier League leaders.

The Belgian could bring something different to the Gunners' midfield, providing a greater attacking threat than the likes of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka, while also being a younger option than that pair.

Over the course of those players' careers, Tielemans has had more goals, assists and shots on target than the Emirates pair combined, which shows the extra spark that he could bring to north London.

Granted, Arsenal's current form means that no new signing should expect to break straight into the starting XI, but Tielemans could be a significant addition if they get him in as an influential box-to-presence, having scored 27 goals and chipped in with 25 assists for the Foxes.