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Arsenal remain interested in signing Youri Tielemans in January, with the Leicester City star also keen on the move, according to reports.
The Gunners dismantled Nottingham Forest 5-0 on Sunday to return to the summit of the Premier League, two points ahead of Manchester City.
Arsenal’s relentless start to the season was threatening to peter out, after Arsenal dropped two points at Southampton last Sunday and were beaten by PSV Eindhoven in the Europa League on Thursday.
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While the Gunners responded brilliantly to last week’s setbacks, Mikel Arteta will be keen to bring in January reinforcements and maintain momentum in their unlikely title charge.
Arsenal have long been linked with Leicester’s Tielemans, and according to a fresh Calciomercato report, they could test Leicester’s resolve by lodging a bid for Tielemans in the January transfer window.
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On the prospective move, CBS reported Ben Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT: "It's an intriguing one because they've put in a lot of work for Tielemans.
"They know that Tielemans wants Arsenal, so this is not the type of transfer where Arsenal have to worry about player buying. If they move for Tielemans, then Tielemans will join Arsenal.
"But it's all about what Arsenal want, what's right for their chemistry and dynamic mid-season, if we're talking about January.
"Their interest has never gone away. It's one to watch because he's in good form now for Leicester and he's a goalscorer."
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Tielemans, whose Leicester contract expires next summer, is said to be on £120,000 a week.
Arsenal could reportedly look to make a move for the player in January, to avoid becoming embroiled in a battle for the Belgian international’s signature.
Amid growing speculation surrounding the midfielder’s future, Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers expressed his desire to retain the services of the 25-year-old next campaign.
Speaking after the Foxes’ 1-0 loss to Manchester City. Rodgers said: "It’s not something we are thinking of [selling Tielemans] and not anything the club have said we need to do.
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“We don’t want to be offloading our best players, that’s for sure so there has been no hint or indication we need to generate money and move him on. But, of course, there’s a business side to the club that they will look at.
"We had a number of long chats in the summer. There is clearly no doubt even a young guy who is focused like Youri and very professional, it can have an impact. But he has been fully focused.
“He doesn’t let that affect him. He is a top-class professional, he sees the game how I see it.
"On the field, he understands what is happening within the game and that’s all he can do – give his very best – and his recent performances have been excellent."
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Brendan Rodgers, Youri Tielemans, Arsenal, Mikel Arteta