Arsenal making a move for Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans could be ‘one to watch’ in the final 24 hours of the transfer window, according to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Long-standing interest

Fabrizio Romano claimed that the Gunners have been holding internal discussions over the potential signing from their Premier League rivals since January.

The 25-year-old’s contract at the King Power Stadium is set to expire next summer, which could see the Foxes significantly drop their valuation to £25m if they want to cash in whilst they still have the chance.

The Latest: Arsenal’s word of warning

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs insisted that Arsenal could be tempted into making an offer for Tielemans if another competitor joins the chase for his in the next 24 hours. He said:

“Arsenal might have to be reactive because if someone else makes a bid for Tielemans and it becomes an open race, that’s when they might go ‘Yikes, he might join another club. Now we better enter the race’.

“It’s one to watch from Arsenal’s perspective.”

The Verdict: Elneny replacement?

Tielemans is already believed to have agreed personal terms with Arsenal, which would suggest he is keen to make the switch to the Emirates, and what a signing he would be for Mikel Arteta.

The Belgian, dubbed an ‘outrageous talent’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, made ten goal contributions in just 29 top-flight starts last season, and averaged 1.8 shots per game (WhoScored), highlighting his creative spark and desire to get forward.

Mohamed Elneny has recently been ruled out of action through injury, and while Tielemans is a different profile of midfielder, Arteta could do a lot worse than adding such an exciting player to fill the void.