Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans has allegedly informed his friends that he is keen to secure a summer transfer to Arsenal.
The Belgium international is out of contract at the King Power Stadium at the end of next season and has been persistently linked with a switch to the Emirates Stadium.
However, Arsenal's interest cooled earlier in the transfer window, with Mikel Arteta and Edu prioritising other targets rather than seeking to bolster the midfield.
The Gunners are expected to add to their engine room before the start of the new season, though, and their interest in Tielemans could therefore be reignited.
According to Football Insider, the 25-year-old has also told those close to him that he wants to don the red and white of Arsenal for the 2022-23 campaign.
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Tielemans is understood to have rejected the Foxes' attempts to tie him down to a new contract and is keen for a transfer to North London to be finalised as soon as possible.
As a result, the Gunners are said to be stepping up their talks to sign the former Monaco man, who could still command a £30m figure in spite of his contract situation.
Tielemans penned a permanent deal at Leicester in 2019 after a successful loan spell, and the Belgium international has since registered 24 goals and 24 assists in 158 games for Brendan Rodgers's side.
The midfielder ended the 2021-22 season with seven goals and five assists to his name from 50 outings in all tournaments, and he has won the FA Cup and Community Shield with Leicester.
However, Arsenal could soon wrap up a £30m deal for another midfield signing, with Manchester City's Oleksandr Zinchenko now on the verge of reuniting with Arteta at the Emirates.
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The Ukraine international - who features primarily as a central midfielder for his nation - is now said to have reached a full agreement over a four-year contract with the North London club.
Zinchenko would become Arsenal's fifth acquisition of the summer, following Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner and Marquinhos to the club for the 2022-23 season.
Tielemans's move to the Emirates could therefore be made more difficult by Zinchenko's arrival, but Manchester United are also said to be in the race for the Leicester man.
Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen represent two new midfield options for the Red Devils, but they are still struggling to lure a defiant Frenkie de Jong away from Barcelona.
Tielemans's preference is understood to be Arsenal, though, and Leicester may be forced to soften their stance lest they risk losing the ex-Anderlecht youngster on a free transfer in 2023.
Ben Knapton
