Arsenal transfer target set to be pinched by Newcastle
FT Desk
- 16 Sept 2022 18:15 BST
- 3 min read
Newcastle are now the richest club in world football, something that could start to impinge upon clubs like current Premier League leaders Arsenal…
Arsenal have hit the ground running this season, winning five of their six Premier League games so far to sit atop the standings with a point more than champions Manchester City.
The Gunners spent €132 million on new players this summer - €77m of which went City's way in return for Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko - but a much-needed central midfielder eluded them.
Arsenal are set to splash more cash in January 👀https://t.co/WwmUBSQcoV
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) September 13, 2022
Youri Tielemans was Mikel Arteta's No.1 target, the Belgium midfielder having impressed in his three-and-a-half seasons since swapping Monaco for Leicester in January 2019.
Tielemans was bought for £32m/€36.5m and Leicester wanted to recoup at least that fee, especially late in the transfer window, but his asking price lifted him beyond Arsenal's summer budget. Now Newcastle could skip the queue.
'Arsenal could miss out'
"Arsenal could be set to miss out on Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans with Newcastle lining up a £17 million [€19.4m] bid for his services," write the Express - Tielemans potentially available for less in January with his contract expiring.
"Mikel Arteta has been heavily linked with a move for the Belgium international who is out of contract at the end of the season, but a move to the Emirates appears to be at risk of being hijacked by the Magpies as they launch their bid for the star."
Newcastle edged Arsenal's summer transfer spending with a €136m outlay, €70m of which went on Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak.
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Eddie Howe wants a third man in midfield with Brazilian pair Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes impressing, albeit primarily for their defensive work.
Tielemans has scored 24 goals and assisted 25 more in 165 games with Leicester in all competitions, and last had more than three shot-creating actions per 90 minutes on avarage.
