Mikel Arteta identifies £42.7m Premier League star as Arsenal transfer priority this summer
The Arsenal boss reportedly has his eyes set on a cut-price deal for a Premier League midfielder
Mikel Arteta has made Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans one of his ‘top targets’ this summer, with the Spaniard looking to strengthen his squad ahead of next season.
That’s according to The Mirror, which reports that Arteta wants to bolster his midfield options ahead of a potential return to the Champions League. This, in addition to the uncertain futures of Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny, is said to have put Tielemans high up on the list.
The Belgian midfielder will only have one year remaining on his current deal come July, and with no signs of a contract extension, Arsenal are believed to be keen on taking advantage of the situation.
Leicester are bracing themselves for offers this summer, and if the Gunners can secure Champions League football, they will then be in the ‘box seat’ to sign the player, the report adds.
Despite his contract running down, Tielemans is still valued between €40m-€50m (£34m-£42.7m) by CIES Football Observatory. Arteta and technical director Edu will undoubtedly be keen on getting the lowest price possible, and there appears to be scope for them to do that.
Nonetheless, Tielemans remains one of Brendan Rodgers’ star men and has been a standout for the Foxes over the past couple of seasons. The 25-year-old scored the winning goal in the 2020/21 FA Cup final against Chelsea and has also bagged another seven in all competitions this season.
Arsenal have often lacked goals from midfield in recent years. Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey usually break up play before progressing it forwards. Meanwhile, Martin Odegaard is known more for his playmaking abilities, and Emile Smith Rowe has mostly scored from out wide.
Tielemans would instantly be a fix to this problem, with the former Anderlecht man viewed as a goalscoring midfielder which his record certainly proves.
