Arsenal are reportedly prepared to offer €60 million to secure the services of Youri Tielemans, a target for Real Madrid, in the summer.
According to a report by Catalan outlet El Nacional, Arsenal could offer €60 million to sign Youri Tielemans from Leicester City in the summer transfer window. The Belgian playmaker is also a target for Real Madrid.
Youri Tielemans has come leaps and bounds since ending his frustrating spell at AS Monaco by joining Leicester City. The 24-year-old initially arrived at the King Power Stadium on a loan deal in the second half of the 2018/19 season before making his stay permanent the following summer.
To date, the Belgian playmaker, now regarded as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, has turned out 131 times for Leicester City, chipping in with 23 goals and 22 assists in the process. Tielemans’s progress has not gone unnoticed, with some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Real Madrid and Arsenal, setting their sights on him.
The advancing years of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos could explain Tielemans’s links with Real Madrid. Both the playmakers are approaching the end of their glittering careers, which is why Real Madrid must lay down a succession plan for him. While neither will be leaving anytime soon, the pieces of the puzzle should be in place well before they do.
With Isco and Dani Ceballos facing uncertain futures at the Santiago Bernabeu, bolstering midfield will become imperative for Real Madrid in the summer anyway, making Tielemans a viable target. But the Merengues will have to fend off competition from Arsenal to secure the services of the Leicester City star.
The Gunners hold a long-standing interest in Tielemans, but they have only recently stepped up their efforts to secure his services. Arsenal and Tielemans have opened talks over a possible summer move, with Mikel Arteta eager to bring a creative midfielder into his team. With Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey being more of workhorses than playmakers, signing Tielemans could add another dimension to Arsenal’s midfield.
The north Londoners are now ready to intensify their efforts to sign Tielemans, as they are prepared to offer €60 million to prise him away from Leicester. Real Madrid will thus need to respond aptly to stand a chance at signing him. Florentino Perez intends to make his move soon, but it is unclear if Real Madrid will be open to matching Arsenal’s impending €60 million bid.