Arsenal transfer target Youri Tielemans has provided a fresh transfer hint as he prepares for Belgium's World Cup opener against Canada.
The Gunners are keen to sign a new central midfielder and have admired Tielemans for a long time, football.london understands. As reported by football.london in the summer, Arsenal have already agreed personal terms with the 25-year-old but are willing to wait until next summer to sign Tielemans on a free transfer when his contract expires.
With January fast approaching, manager Mikel Arteta has admitted it's 'extremely difficult' to prepare of the winter transfer window, but squad depth in midfield remains a key issue for the Gunners. Manchester United and Barcelona are both said to be keen on signing Tielemans, but Arsenal are expected to act should rival clubs look to approach the Belgian midfielder.
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The Leicester City star has admitted that his future at the King Power Stadium "doesn't change anything" and isn't something he is thinking about while away at the World Cup with Belgium. As quoted in the Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir, translated from French, Tielemans said: "My future at the club doesn’t change anything.
"I don’t think about that right now. I just try to be the best footballer possible here and help the national team as much as possible."
Tielemans is featuring in his third major tournament for Belgium and continues to be a key player for Roberto Martinez's side, whilst his future at club level continues to draw speculation. A good performance in Qatar could see foreign clubs looks to pounce on the advantage of being able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with Tielemans from January, which could force Arsenal's hand and try to secure a cut-price deal for the 25-year-old.
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