Arsenal target Youri Tielemans subject of ‘mystery offer’ as Leicester set £30m price tag

Leicester City have received a last-minute offer from a mystery club for the services of Arsenal target Youri Tielemans, according to reports. The Belgian playmaker only has a year remaining on his current deal with the Foxes and has been tipped to leave the King Power Stadium in the not-too-distant future, with Arsenal said to be keen admirers.

The Gunners have been keeping tabs on Tielemans for some time, while the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea have also been credited with a desire to land the midfielder over the last few months. It seems as though one club has already opened the bidding for the 25-year-old, with Leicester having received an approach from an unnamed suitor ahead of Thursday’s all-important deadline, according to transfer expert Pete O’Rourke.

It is said that the offer includes a transfer fee in the region of £19million, with the side in question hoping that Leicester will accept a cut-price fee as a result of Tielemans’ contract situation. However, the Foxes are seemingly in no mood to sell their prized asset on the cheap, with CBS Sports reporting that the club’s hierarchy are aiming to hold out for around £30m.

Whether or not Arsenal will emerge as the club to have submitted the mystery offer to Leicester remains to be seen, with the Gunners having held an interest in bringing Tielemans to the Emirates Stadium for a number of months. They are said to be weighing up the idea of waiting until next summer in order to sign the midfielder on a free transfer but would be running the risk of being beaten by another club in doing so.

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It is hard to imagine that Arsenal will be the only club with a plan to chase Tielemans at the end of the campaign, with the former Monaco ace having established himself as one of Leicester’s most important players since joining them for a club-record fee back in 2019. He has featured in every Premier League game for the Foxes this season and looks set to play a key role for Brendan Rodgers’ side despite refusing the offer of a contract extension towards the end of the previous campaign.

Arsenal, meanwhile, could reap the rewards of an immediate move for Tielemans to shore up their midfield ranks in preparation for a renewed top-four challenge in the Premier League over the coming months. They have already been urged to move for the Leicester maestro by former Tottenham defender Alan Hutton, who believes that the capture of Tielemans would restore Arsenal’s fear factor in high-profile matches against the division’s other giants.

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“It’s not about bringing in another number, I think he makes the team better, he will be a big signing for Arsenal,” Hutton told Football Insider.

“He’ll have his eyes on playing week in, week out and I think he can do that there. No disrespect to Leicester, but he’ll have better players around him and he can flourish there.

“He’s a fantastic footballer. If they can get that over the line, the way they are playing at the moment, teams in and around Arsenal will fear them.”

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