Arsenal report: Youri Tielemans to join for free next summer

Arsenal have won the race for Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans and are free to sign him at the end of his contract next summer.

That's according to one report that says the Belgian controller is set to leave the Foxes for nothing and that Juventus have pulled out of the race for his signature – leaving the Gunners with a free path to his signing. 

Tielemans agreed terms with Mikel Arteta's side as long ago as January this year but didn't move to the Emirates Stadium over the summer. Reports claimed at the time that Leicester were holding out for too high a fee.

Now, Italian outlet Juve Dipendenza says the other big suitor interested in signing the 25-year-old – Juventus – aren't interested anymore and that Arsenal will secure him at the expiration of his deal. Juve are apparently more interested in Lazio star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who the Gunners have also been linked with.

There had been talk of Tielemans agreeing a year-long extension with his employers, who he initially joined on loan back in 2019. This would protect his value and enable Leicester to sell him for a fee following what the Belgian hopes would be a successful World Cup. 

This extension hasn't been agreed, however. Arsenal, meanwhile, are looking for a new midfielder who can cover for the in-form Granit Xhaka, despite a wealth of options already in their ranks.

Captain Martin Odegaard and impressive summer signing Fabio Vieira have been given with the creative onus of the midfield, while Albert Sambi Lokonga is an option at No.8. Teen starlet Charlie Patino is wowing at Blackpool, on loan in the Championship, while Emile Smith Rowe is returning from injury in December and may yet become an option in midfield. Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny are the two sitting midfielders of the squad. 

Arteta may decide that he doesn't want to add yet another midfielder to his side, with so many solid options emerging – though it's thought that the north Londoners will be handed £50 million to spend in January to bolster their title challenge.

Tielemans is valued at around £40m by Transfermarkt. 

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Arsenal have been linked with a move for Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli; the Gunners are said to have already made contact with the Italy international's camp. The club are also interested in Evan Ndicka in defence, while N'Golo Kante and Federico Valverde are targets, too. 

Meanwhile, one man who could be heading for the Emirates Stadium exit door is Gabriel Martinelli: there's been talk of Chelsea making a shock swoop for the winger.

In other news, Aaron Ramsdale says that the Gunners have been motivated to succeed this season by the disappointment of missing out on Champions League qualification last term.