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Arsenal: Youri Tielemans ‘one to watch’ in January
Journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano says that Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans is ‘one to watch’ for Arsenal in the January transfer window.
The Lowdown: Busy January?
It was reported on Monday night that the Gunners have submitted an official bid for Mykhaylo Mudryk, but it falls short of Shakhtar Donetsk’s valuation of the winger.
They have also been linked with the likes of Joao Felix and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, which suggests that they want to strengthen the squad to help their push for the Premier League title.
The Latest: Tielemans ‘one to watch’
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano says that Tielemans is also ‘one to watch’ for Arsenal in January, after making an ‘approach’ for him in the summer alongside Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz.
The Italian stated: “Tielemans has always been on the list at Arsenal, he has always been appreciated. They always had his name on their list.
“At the moment, there are no conversations with Leicester, but I think this is one to watch because in the summer, Arsenal arrived in the final days to try to approach Leicester for Tielemans, then they did the same with Aston Villa for Douglas Luiz.”
The Verdict: No-brainer
Given that Tielemans will be out of contract at Leicester next summer, signing him for a cut-price in January is surely a no-brainer for Arsenal.
Hailed as an ‘outstanding player’ and ‘one of Europe’s top midfielders’ by his manager Brendan Rodgers, the Belgium international ranks in the 85th percentile for tackles, 82nd for passes attempted and blocks and 81st for shot-creating actions among his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year (FBRef).
Scoring 28 goals and supplying 25 assists for Leicester in 177 games, including the winner in the FA Cup final against Chelsea in 2021 (Transfermarkt), Tielemans has shown that he is capable of producing in big moments, and at 25 years of age, he has not even hit his peak yet.
If Mikel Arteta’s side can sign both him and Mudryk, they would surely give themselves a great chance of winning a first league title since 2004.
