Newcastle United may have the opportunity to sign Youri Tielemans in January, journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed.

The Lowdown: Tielemans situation

Tielemans is heading into the final six months of the £120k-per-week contract at Leicester City he penned when he joined the Foxes permanently in 2019.

With Brendan Rodgers’ side currently floundering in the bottom half of the table, it seems very unlikely that the 25-year-old will sign a new deal amid interest from major Premier League clubs.

Indeed, Arsenal are reportedly prepared to wait for Tielemans' contract to run down in order to sign him on a free in the summer.

Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Chris Waugh has reported that Newcastle are huge admirers of both Tielemans as well as club teammate James Maddison, but a move for the former bodes more chance this month given the Belgian’s current situation.

The Latest: Jacobs’ comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs suggested that the Magpies are becoming more confident a cut-price deal can be sewn up in January.

He said: “In January, Tielemans will not suddenly be worth the £30m that perhaps Leicester wanted for him, because that contract has ticked down a little bit further.

“So, this is where Newcastle will be one to watch for Arsenal in particular because there’s a growing feeling that Newcastle might consider a low offer for Tielemans in January to strengthen their midfield, to see how Leicester react.

“Leicester may say they don’t want to get rid mid-season or Leicester may say they’re now resigned to losing Tielemans for free. But there’s always that temptation if a reasonable [bid] but still much lower than the £30m or so from last summer is tabled.”

The Verdict: Go for it

The chance to snap up a Premier League-proven midfielder who will improve the squad on a cut-price January deal is an incredibly rare one.

Previously dubbed “technically gifted” by journalist John Bennett, the 25-year-old has played 180 games for the Foxes, scoring 28 and assisting 25, with his incredible FA Cup-winning goal against Chelsea in 2021 an unforgettable reminder of the quality he possesses.

Eddie Howe’s side are currently slim in midfield with Bruno Guimaraes, Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff the only fit and comfortable centre-midfielder options available, with Joelinton recently finding form in attack.

We think Tielemans, who was previously hailed as 'one of Europe's top midfielders', would be a sensational addition, with him in the top 16% for tackles and 13% for blocks amongst midfielders at he top level (via FBref).

Also in the top 15% for shot-creating actions and 21% for progressive passes, Tielemans has shown just how well-rounded he is and what he could add to the Magpies' engine room to get them across that European finishing line.