La Liga heavyweights Barcelona reportedly trail Arsenal in the race to sign 25-year-old Belgian playmaker Youri Tielemans from Leicester City.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona will need to overcome Arsenal to sign Youri Tielemans. The Gunners are the front-runners to secure the services of the 25-year-old Leicester City playmaker in 2023.
Youri Tielemans has gone from strength to strength since joining Leicester from AS Monaco nearly four years ago. The Foxes initially signed him on a short-term loan before completing a permanent transfer in July 2019. And the Belgian international has established himself as one of the best playmakers in the Premier League since then.
The 25-year-old has made 173 appearances for Leicester City, chipping in with 27 goals and 25 assists. But Tielemans has entered the final year of his contract with the Premier League outfit and will unlikely sign a new deal. Such a situation has captured the attention of Barcelona and Arsenal.
Barcelona might lose Frenkie de Jong next year as they continue to push the Dutchman to the exit door. In addition, Sergio Busquets is in the twilight of his career, while Franck Kessie has struggled to get going at Camp Nou. Tielemans has thus emerged as a viable target for Barcelona.
Recent reports have claimed that Xavi Hernandez has identified the 25-year-old playmaker as a top target. But Barcelona will have to fend off stiff competition from Arsenal to land Tielemans. The Catalan club’s prospects might not be too bright either, with Tielemans reportedly keen on joining Arsenal.
Arsenal signed Fabio Vieira in the summer transfer window, with the Portuguese midfielder starting to settle down at the Emirates. But the north Londoners remain keen on bolstering the midfield unit again next year. And according to Fichajes, the Gunners are ahead of Barcelona in the race to sign the Belgian international.
But a January move might not be possible, with recent reports claiming that Leicester City will not part ways with him midway through the season. It will be interesting to see what transpires in the Youri Tielemans saga, with Arsenal ahead of Barcelona in the chase.
