Arsenal’s pursuit of Youri Tielemans must intensify as the summer transfer window reaches its final weeks. Signing the Belgian has become even more important after it appears that Paris Saint-Germain is set to steal another midfield player linked with the Gunners.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, PSG are closing in on Fabian Ruiz as a new signing. This is despite reports earlier in the season from Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport in June that Arsenal are the most interested party in the Spanish international. It was reported that he could be available for just £25million.
This transfer would be the second time in the space of a week that PSG have stolen a potential Arsenal target. With the window beginning to slowly close shut, Arsenal must push for Tielemans to prevent missing out on the needed depth in the middle of the park.
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PSG had also signed Renato Sanches for a €15million (£12.5million) transfer fee last week. The north London side had been linked to Sanches before the opening of the summer transfer window with French news outlet Jeunes Footeux reporting that the Portuguese international has emerged as the priority signing for Mikel Arteta in the summer.
The Gunners will need to sign a midfielder due to a lack of depth and quality in the middle of the park. CBS Sports reported earlier in the season that Tielemans would be available for £30m, which makes him an absolute bargain to solve Arsenal’s midfield issues.
The 24-year-old has been a regular in the Premier League for the last three seasons and has played a big part in Leicester's Champions League push over the last few campaigns. The midfielder's impressive performances have seen the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid show interest in him.
More importantly, he has already played in 20 Champions League games, showing that he has the necessary European experience. With Arsenal striving for their own top-four push, this will be an added bonus.
Since the start of the 2019/2020 Premier League season, Tielemans ranks eighth for the most tackles made in the division, having tackled on 212 occasions. This is impressive for a midfielder who is more scrutinised than praised for his work on the defensive front, and it also shows why Arsenal should still pursue a deal to further accommodate the Vieira signing.
However, a deal has failed to materialise in this window. Mikel Arteta's side have 'cooled' their interest in Tielemans, according to Sky Sports. The report claims that it's become increasingly likely that the Belgium international now signs a one-year contract extension at the King Power Stadium, with his current deal set to expire in 12 months.
However, this may not be Arsenal’s true intention as the same situation happened with Ramsdale in the previous summer transfer window. Tielemans would be an ideal acquisition for the Gunners, and with his cheap price tag it would be a surprise for Edu not to complete a deal.
Despite the Gunners reportedly cooling their interest in the midfielder, it is a potential deal that Edu should look to get back on track as the Belgium international would prove to be a bargain for the north London side. Suppose Arsenal are going to continue to pass up on potential alternatives to the Leicester midfielder which has been seen with Sanches and Ruiz. In that case, it is crucial that Edu signs Tielemans to prevent leaving Arteta with a lack of options in the middle of the park.
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