Arsenal are keeping tabs on Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans ahead of the 2023 January transfer window
According to Calciomercato, Premier League leaders Arsenal are seeking to make a move for Leicester City’s star midfielder Youri Tielemans in the upcoming 2023 January transfer window.
The Belgian international is one of the Foxes’ best players and has played a key role in their success in recent years. He famously scored the winner in the FA Cup final against Chelsea in the 2020/21 season at Wembley.
The 25-year-old has failed to reach the same heights since and is in the final few months of his contract at the King Power Stadium. As things stand, Tielemans is no closer to penning an extension and could leave the Premier League club for a free next summer.
A player of Tielemans’s talent entering the free agent market will attract several suitors. Arsenal, one of the teams interested in securing his services in the summer, are keen to make a move in January to pre-empt the competition.
The Gunners have started the 2022/23 season well and find themselves at top of the Premier League. Mikel Arteta’s side have ridden their luck at times but remain on top and look primed for a long-awaited title challenge. There is still a long way to go in the season, and adding the right players to the roster in January could give them the impetus to keep up the momentum.
The arrivals of Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard in recent years have given the Gunners the quality needed to challenge the top teams in the division. The likes of Granit Xhaka, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have all stepped up their game and have proven to be invaluable players in the first XI.
Tielemans is an all-action player capable of running the game in the middle of the park. His ability to not just find the right pass but also have a pop or two at goal makes him a game-changing addition in a crucial area. More so, at 25, he is still entering his prime and can take his performances a notch or two higher.
Leicester, too, will do well to sell the player in January rather than lose him for free later in the summer. The Foxes are in no position to offer the 25-year-old a shot at winning silverware. While Arsenal still have much to prove, a move to the Emirates would be a step up for the Belgian international.
A strong showing at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year could serve as an audition for Tielemans. With several clubs looking at midfield additions, he could very well be a man in demand once the January transfer window rolls around.
