"Sources have told..." - Journalist claims Arsenal plotting late bid for Caicedo alternative

Arsenal are plotting a late bid for Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans as an alternative to Moises Caicedo.

Mikel Arteta’s side are keen to sign a midfielder before Tuesday’s transfer deadline to consolidate their position at the top of the Premier League.

The Gunners are five points clear of last season’s champions Manchester City at the halfway stage of the season.

However the club are lacking depth in midfield, with fringe star Mohamed Elneny having suffered a potential long term knee injury last week.

Indeed, Arsenal have seen two bids worth up to £70million rebuffed by Brighton for Moises Caicedo.

However, while the 21-year-old wrote an open letter on Friday expressing a desire to leave the south coast club, Brighton have held firm in their desire to keep the club.

In turn, the league leaders may explore alternatives to the Ecuador international.

Arsenal plotting late bid for Tielemans

According to 90min journalist Graeme Bailey, the Gunners are considering placing a late bid for Tielemans.

The Belgian international has reportedly turned down multiple offers of a new deal at Leicester, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Arsenal are said to be long term admirers of Tielemans, and are reportedly in place to sign him on a free transfer in the summer.

However 90min claim they are considering making an offer for the 25-year-old, having struggled in their attempts to sign Caicedo.

Tielemans would allegedly be open to a move late in the January window. Equally, if Leicester were not entrenched in a relegation battle the publication claims they would consider allowing the player to leave.

However, at present it would take a “huge bid” for the Foxes to consider parting ways with Belgian, given their precarious position near the bottom of the table.