Arsenal’s links to Youri Tielemans have been ongoing throughout the summer transfer window without any serious breakthrough. But the recent transfer merry-go-round between Leicester and Lyon seemed to give Arsenal leverage, but this is now under threat.
According to French news outlet Foot Mercato Houssem Aouar, who had previously been close to a move to Arsenal, is now Leicester City’s priority target to replace James Maddison, who has been heavily linked with a move to Newcastle. Sky Sports have reported that the Magpies have registered two bids for the former Arsenal target.
This would have been an ideal move for Arsenal in their Tielemans pursuit, but Aouar has also received further Premier League interest, which disrupts the ideal transfer merry-go-round for Arsenal.
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Aouar has a lot of versatility in the centre of midfield, with the Frenchman able to play directly in the middle of the park or in a more advanced role. With him able to cover multiple positions in the midfield, Leicester could be more willing to sell Tielemans, which could give Arsenal more encouragement to complete a deal.
However, French news outlet L’Équipe have reported that Nottingham Forest have made their first offer for Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar, who is, for the third summer in a row, expected to leave OL before September. The newly-promoted Premier League club have been in contact with the player's entourage for several days, say the sports daily, and their offer is the most concrete of the interest received by the player this summer. The outlet also claims that Aouar is available for £12.6million.
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.
However, a deal has failed to materialise in this window, and 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.
This has also been followed by The Guardian's report that Leicester are expecting Arsenal to move for Youri Tielemans and are aware of Arteta's long-standing interest. But, they are yet to make an offer.
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.
With Aouar potentially making the switch to the King Power stadium, it could give Arsenal the needed reassurance that negotiations with Leicester will not be difficult when trying to sign Tielemans, as they already have a replacement for the Belgian, but Nottingham Forest's recent interest could disrupt the ideal move for the Gunners.
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