With few midfielder rumours, Are Arsenal still waiting for a cheap deal for Tielemans?

Almost every transfer rumor coming out of the Emirates is about them beefing up their attack. Transfer links involving their midfield are so dead that we may begin to believe everything is fine with the midfield.

I know it sounds strange to say Arsenal’s midfield isn’t strong enough when Martin Odegaard, Granit Xhaka, and Thomas Partey have been nothing short of spectacular, but let’s be honest: The concern isn’t about the trio.

The concern is that their backups are unable to play at their levels, so if any of them is ruled out due to injury, it could be a setback. There are many midfielders Arsenal can sign to avoid suffering if a midfield crisis strikes, but you and I can agree that Youri Tielemans could be the one. Tielemans could inject quality into Arteta’s midfield.

Tielemans’ move to the Emirates has always seemed easy, considering his contract expires in 2023; all Arsenal had to do was offer Leicester a few millions as the Belgium was available at a bargain price. Arsenal never made that offer last summer, and the hope was that it would change this winter, but would it? Ben Jacobs doesn’t think so.

“So from Arsenal’s perspective, with buy-in from the player and long-standing talks on the personal terms side, they could just wait until the summer and get him at tremendous value in terms of a free transfer,” said Jacobs on Give Me Sport.

“If Arsenal feel they can take that approach and play the long game with Tielemans and get him at value, there’s a strong likelihood that’s exactly what they’ll do.

“But the complication is the fact that with Leicester’s form being hit and miss and perhaps with Tielemans feeling like Arsenal kept him waiting a little bit over the summer, should another suitor come in this January then Arsenal will have a decision to make.”

Arsenal may be unable to make another high-value offer for a midfielder after breaking the bank for Mykhailo Mudryk, as was widely expected. However, with Leicester set to lose one of their prized possessions (Tielemans) for free in the summer, a cheap but reasonable deal could see them let their midfield engine go.

Tielemans is the type of player who could help to guarantee Arsenal the Premier League title win this season.