Arsenal must sign Youri Tielemans in January to ward off Barcelona interest
Arsenal have had a fantastic Premier League campaign thus far and they are currently top of the table with a five-point lead over favourites Manchester City.
The Gunners will resume their season following the World Cup final on Boxing Day and it remains to be seen whether they can sustain the current run of form.
One of the club’s prime concerns during the backend of last season was the lack of quality midfield depth and the hierarchy must address the issue in January.
An injury setback for Thomas Partey or Granit Xhaka could put their season in jeopardy. The former has yet to stay fit over an entire campaign for the London club.
We saw how Partey’s absence hampered the Gunners in the final stretch for the top four last season and manager Mikel Arteta must address the concern.
Arsenal must beat Barcelona to Tielemans’ services
In our opinion, the Gunners should revive their long-term interest in Tielemans whose contract with Leicester City is due to expire at the end of the season.
The Belgian star started the campaign in a slow fashion, but his form has been superb over the past few weeks, chipping in with a couple of winning goals.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are looking at the prospect of signing him for free next summer and they could discuss personal terms in January.
However, Arsenal have an excellent chance to beat them to the Belgian if they can negotiate a suitable fee with the Foxes during the winter transfer window.
With Barcelona’s financial problems this year, it is reported that the Spanish club are largely on the look out for Bosman deals rather than paying a transfer fee.
The Gunners were reluctant to meet the Foxes’ £40 million price tag for Tielemans last summer, but that valuation could drop to £20m in the New Year.
With Tielemans’ age (25) and the prime years of his career ahead of him, he would represent value for money and the Gunners must aim to land him this winter.
The Belgium international can play in multiple midfield roles. He is strong with his tackling and interceptions and would be an upgrade on Mohamed Elneny and Albert Sambi Lokonga.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
