According to recent reports, Youri Tielemens is eager to move to the north of London. Arsenal and the player have already agreed upon personal terms as well. However, as encouraging as that seems, Mikel Arteta’s team has yet to make Leicester an official bid for the Belgian.
The Gunners may want to hurry up on this one, as arch-rivals Manchester United have entered the race as well. They are currently looking to sign Frenkie De Jong, but he prefers to stay at Barcelona. Hence, the Red Devils are looking for alternatives in midfield. Youri Tielemens checks all the boxes for what they require.
It would seem that they are currently focusing their attention on pretty much every other target. Many anticipated that Arteta will focus the majority of their attention on signing Tielemans now that Gabriel Jesus has been secured.
Why Haven’t Arsenal Pursued Tielemens?
However, it now appears that they are looking to sign Lisandro Martinez of Ajax. The versatile defender can play at centre-back as well as left-back. Some people even see him as a solution to Arsenal’s midfield woes due to his superb ball-playing abilities. But signing Martinez is no easy task either.
Reports suggest that Arsenal’s first bid was rejected. Another bid was made, which met the same fate. Then it was Manchester United once again who swooped in and offered a similar price to Arsenal. Manchester United could potentially be a more attractive destination for Martinez, given his previous association with Erik Ten Hag.
Manchester United have already snatched left-back Tyrell Malacia from under the noses of Lyon. They may take a similar step with Tielemens if Arsenal do not act quickly.
Tielemens has proven his class over the years and can do a decent job for most teams in the world. United and Arsenal are currently lacking a player like him in their current midfield, and his signing should be a no-brainer for them.
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