During the summer transfer window, Arsenal's hunt to sign a central midfielder was well-documented. One of the names high on Edu's list of targets was Leicester City star Youri Tielemans.
football.london reported during the window that the Belgian was keen on a move to the Emirates Stadium and that he would be willing to see out the last year of his Leicester contract before sealing a move. Though if a rival made an offer this summer, Arsenal would make a move.
Three months after the end of the summer transfer window, Arsenal have been given a perfect final scouting chance to signs Tielemans. This comes after it was confirmed that the Belgian has been included in Roberto Martinez’s 26-man squad for the World Cup in Qatar and despite a potential transfer threat from Barcelona, Joan Laporta’s January admission gives Arsenal space to negotiate a deal.
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It was initially reported by Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo that Barcelona were looking at signing Tielemans in January. However, this was shut down by Laporta as the Barcelona president claimed that his side will not be able to sign any players in January as things stand.
Laporta said: "We had to make some levers, which were economic operations that saved the club from ruin, and now the club is in economic recovery," Laporta told Spanish news agency EFE. "But despite that, according to the rules of financial fair play of the Spanish league, we can not sign"
.The Gunners need to sign a midfielder due to a lack of depth and quality in the middle of the park, with Arteta admitting they lacked depth after the loss against Brighton in the Carabao Cup. CBS Sports reported earlier in the season that Tielemans would be available for £30million. However, a deal failed to materialise in the summer window as Mikel Arteta's side 'cooled' their interest in the Belgian earlier in the market, according to Sky Sports.
Tielemans could be extremely useful for Arsenal as Edu must look to sign more midfield reinforcements. Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey are two players whose place in the team are currently untouchable. Albert Sambi Lokonga and Mohammed Elneny are the two backup players, but their levels in terms of experience and quality do not compare with the two starters.
The Leicester midfielder would be able to bridge the quality gap, and a deal could be easier to complete as the midfielder is yet to sign a new contract, with his current deal at the King Power Stadium expiring at the end of the next season.
Tielemans’ range of passing and ability to strike the ball also makes him a useful option in the No.8 role. The Belgian sent Arsenal a key reminder why Edu should look to reconsider a transfer when the January window opens.
With Partey already missing a couple of games this season, it has sent a reminder that Arsenal need to address the strength in depth of the midfield department. His value was already highlighted in this campaign when Arteta’s side travelled to Old Trafford on the back of five consecutive wins.
Arsenal struggled in the midfield against United, and ultimately lost 3-1 as Albert Sambi Lokonga came in to replace Partey, proving that without the Ghanaian in the team, the Gunners become a much weaker force.
Barcelona’s withdrawal from a potential deal is a major boost for Arsenal. The Catalan side had already disrupted the Gunners’ transfer plans last summer when they hijacked a deal to sign Leeds United’s Raphinha.
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