By Betsefy
Arsenal have reportedly been handed a boost in their pursuit of Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans.
The 25-year-old faces an uncertain future at the King Power Stadium as he has less than 12 months remaining on his contract.
Arsenal are believed to be one of the frontrunners in the race to sign Tielemans, who has allegedly told his friends that he would like to move to the Emirates Stadium.
The Belgium international began on the substitutes’ bench for last weekend’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at home to Southampton, while defender Wesley Fofana missed out entirely amid interest from Chelsea, and manager Brendan Rodgers was later questioned about the futures of both players.
“I don’t know at this stage. There have been a few offers in for some of the players but nowhere near the valuation the club would want to sell,” Rodgers told Sky Sports News after the match.
“None of them are for sale. That is the reality of it, however, I know how the game works and how the business works, but at this moment in time there are a few weeks to go in the window.
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“I don’t know what will happen but my only concentration is the players we have here and getting them back to that level of confidence and turning 60 minutes of good work into 90 minutes of good work and results.”
Earlier this summer, it was thought that Leicester would be prepared to entertain offers between £30m and £40m for Tielemans, considering that he will be out of contract in the summer of 2023.
However, Dutch news outlet Het Nieuwsblad, via Sport Witness, claims that the Foxes are now prepared to accept offers of around £20m for the midfielder.
Due to the club’s financial position and concerns over Financial Fair Play, Leicester are yet to make an outfield signing this summer and they are looking to offload a number of players to balance their books.
The news of Tielemans’s valuation dropping will come as a boost for Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta, who has already spent close to £120m on five summers signings.
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The Gunners have bolstered their midfield options with the addition of playmaker Fabio Vieira from Porto, while versatile left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko has arrived from Manchester City and is another who can operate in the middle of the pitch.
It is thought that Arteta would like to sign another centre-midfielder before the window shuts on September 1, and the Spaniard revealed earlier this month that the club reman active in the market.
“We are going to try. There are a few things we have planned and we are going to try,” Arteta told Sky Sports News after their Premier League win over Crystal Palace on August 5.
Since joining from Monaco in 2019, Tielemans has recorded 24 goals and 24 assists in 161 appearances for Leicester across all competitions, and has won both the FA Cup and Community Shield.
Arsenal are also believed to be on the lookout for a new winger, but business in that department will likely depend on whether they part ways with Nicolas Pepe, who has been linked with both Nice and Leicester City.
