Leicester City News: Arsenal has welcomed Mohamed Elneny back from the Africa Cup of Nations, bringing their total number of central midfielders for the rest of the season to four. Starting with Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka until at least May, when the club will look to enhance its attacking options in the summer transfer market.
Xhaka and Elneny will probably depart the club after the season, which means Mikel Arteta will look for a range of different profiles to fill the void left by a roster that will be much smaller than it is now.
Leicester City News: Which Club Will Be Able To Sign The Leicester City Midfielder?
The signing of Youri Tielemans, whose agent has already met with Edu and his staff at London Colney to negotiate a possible transfer after this season, which seems to be the end of the Belgian’s tenure at the King Power Stadium, might be part of another summer spending frenzy.
Arsenal is preparing for a trade war with Manchester United for Youri Tielemans, with Leicester City setting a £35m price tag for the Belgian midfielder.
Leicester City will want to sell him this summer to prevent losing him for nothing. Tielemans is not likely to sign a new contract with the club once his current agreement expires in the summer.
According to Belgian publication Het Nieuwsblad (via Sport Witness), Arsenal is not alone in their pursuit of the 24-year-old. Manchester United has been tracking the youngster for some time. They are is expected to be among the first to bid for his services when the opportunity arises.
The price at which the Foxes would be prepared to sell him is also a source of interest. As a result of the midfielder’s contract predicament, the club has been obliged to reduce their initial demand to €70m. It is a bargain for a player who has been outstanding since he arrived in the Premier League.
What Next For These Two EPL Sides Looking To Take Advantage Of The Situation In Hand?
However, it is amusing to note that Tielemans’ play has deteriorated almost immediately after Arsenal was linked with a move for him. This happened at the start of the season. He has seen some ups and downs this term. Keeping that in mind, he will want to improve on his performances from now until the end of the season and fast.
The Leicester City news will have given the teams that want him, some hope of signing him. Despite that, the deal is far from done as of now. There are still a lot of things that need to be done prior to this move happening.
As a whole, Brendan Rodgers’ club has been in terrible form lately. But Tielemans has undoubtedly played a role in that. The midfielder is coming under intense criticism for his effort (or lack thereof) off the ball. His speed, as well as his physical health, are being called into doubt.
When he’s on form, though, he’s one of the most entertaining midfielders to watch in the Premier League. If Arsenal can sign that version of him, things will work out for them. Although, there are some doubts about a Partey and Tielemans double-pivot. Despite that, £35m still seems like a bargain.