Arsenal legend Ray Parlour believes the Gunners should put a ‘cheeky bid’ in for Youri Tielemans as they need a back-up to Thomas Partey. The north London outfit are interested in signing Real Madrid star Eduardo Camavinga on loan this month, but Parlour feels Tielemans is the best fit for Mikel Arteta.
football.london understands Arsenal agreed personal terms with the Belgian midfielder last summer but would prefer to sign him on a free transfer when his contract at Leicester expires at the end of the season. Albert Sambi Lokonga and Mohamed Elneny are the only two senior back-up midfielders available for Arteta if Partey or Granit Xhaka were to suffer an injury.
Camavinga emerged as a potential option for Arsenal this month after the Real Madrid star has struggled to nail down a regular starting spot under Carlo Ancelotti. Camavinga's agent has since denied reports linking him with a loan switch to the Emirates Stadium, which could see the Gunners make a move for Tielemans if they want to add a midfielder to Arteta's squad this month.
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The Belgium international is a proven player in the Premier League and could prove to be a clever piece of business from sporting director Edu Gaspar. Speaking to Lord Ping, Parlour said: "Arsenal need another midfielder as backup to Xhaka and Partey and I know Tielemans was mentioned in that midfield area.
"He is very different to Partey. I know Partey is very good at winning the ball back, very similar to [Emmanuel] Petit and Gilberto Silva. So it's a bit of a defensive midfielder, but obviously good on the ball as well that can make things happen.
"With Tielemans. He doesn’t have long left in his contract. So Arsenal can put a little cheeky bid in. But at the same time, Leicester has their own problems fighting a relegation battle, and does not want to go down because they lost their best players."
A move for Tielemans could now be viable if there are no standout alternatives available with just 10 days left of the transfer window.
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