UPDATE: Arsenal Could Lose Prized Transfer Target To Rival EPL Team

Since the summer transfer window opened for business at the end of May, one name that has been on the lip of every Arsenal fan has been that of Leicester City midfielder, Youri Tielemans. Indeed, many have begun to see the Belgian as the perfect compliment for Thomas Partey as the double pivot at the base of Arteta’s midfield. Quite frankly, they’re not far from the truth.

With Xhaka’s lack of mobility during attacking and defensive transitions always being a source of worry for most fans, there are indeed many persons who have been left wondering why Edu Gasper and Mikel Arteta have delayed in snapping up the 25-year-old despite being informed that Youri is not only on the final year of his contract at the King Power stadium, but that he has chosen the Emirates as his preferred destination. Simply put, Tielemans wants Arsenal.

So why hasn’t Arsenal tabled a bid for the Belgian? Leicester’s £30 million transfer fee for a player whose already in the final year of his contract could prove to be the stumbling block for Edu and the board at the Emirates. This, perhaps, could be the reason why Arsenal are taking their time to test Leicester’s resolve. After all, by January, the Tielemans will have the liberty to talk to other clubs about a move when he becomes a free agent in June 2023.

While it might make sense to wait till January to approach the plater who willl be available for next to nothing 6 months later,  Arsenal now run the risk of losing a prized transfer target to Premier League rivals, Liverpool.

With Thiago Alcantara suffering a serious hamstring injury in their opening game against Fulham over the weekend, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool suddenly has a midfield crisis on their hands (Oxlade Chamberlain, Naby Keita, and Curtis Jones are all out injured) and it won’t be surprising if they would be willing to match up Leicester’s 30m valuation for Youri Tielemans.

As it stands, Liverpool could join the race anytime soon, and should they meet the Foxes’ asking price for the Belgian, Arsenal would suddenly see themselves lose out on a deal they should have stepped up on a long time ago.

With the English transfer window set to slam shut at midnight on August 31st, it would be interesting to see who eventually ends up with the Belgian’s signature.