"Fantastic" midfielder Arsenal decided not to sign last summer may now join on a free

Arsenal have been linked with a fresh move for Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans - after electing not to bid for him in the summer.

The Gunners were in the market for a midfielder in this summer, to add depth to their squad and to cover for any injuries suffered by first-choice pairing Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.

But they saw bids turned down on deadline day for Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz and Palmeiras star Danilo.

And with Mohamed Elneny suffering from a serious hamstring injury that will keep him out until 2023, the squad lacks depth in the central midfield area.

But they were linked with Tielemans throughout the summer, but elected not to place a bid for the Belgian.

They instead placed a £23 million bid for Luiz - similar to the amount that was rumoured to be enough to prize Tielemans away from Leicester.

The Daily Mail reported in April that the Foxes had placed a £25m price tag on their midfielder, who is out of contract next summer.

And because of his contract situation, Arsenal could land the player for much cheaper.

Arsenal set to sign Tielemans

Earlier in the week, Italian outlet Juvedipendenza claimed that Arsenal were set to beat Juventus to the signature of the 24-year-old.

And now, Fabrizio Romano has further added fuel to the fire over a potential move.

Speaking as part of his CaughtOffside Substack column, Romano said: "Personally, I think Youri Tielemans coming towards the end of his contract is a great opportunity on the market for Arsenal and any other club!

"They decided not to pay for him in the summer, but let's see if their plans changes if, or when, he becomes a free agent."

Tielemans would be a big loss for the Foxes, even though his impending contract expiry has been recognsied within the club for some time.

Speaking in 2021, former Leicester striker Emile Heskey reiterated just why clubs are so keen on signing the Belgian.

He explained (quotes via Leicester Mercury): "Tielemans is a fantastic player. Tielemans is the kind of player that would suit any midfield and any team.

"He excites you, because he does the simple things very, very well - the simple passes from here to there, and you look at them and think, 'That was crisp, that was nice'.

"That slide pass that sometimes gets cut out doesn't with Tielemans, because he is so crisp with his passing. He would fit into any team."