Arsenal are interested in signing Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans this summer as the Gunners look to strengthen their squad.
Mikel Arteta is looking to add quality and depth throughout his squad heading into the 2022/23 campaign, and football.london reported previously that the Gunners are interested in signing Tielemans. While the Gunners confirmed the signing of playmaker Fabio Vieira for a fee in the region of £35million earlier in the window, this is not expected to stop their pursuit of Tielemans this summer.
The north Londoners struggled with midfield options towards the back end of the 2021/22 campaign as Thomas Partey missed out through injury. Arsenal were interested in signing Tielemans' teammate James Maddison last summer, but the Belgian has just 12 months left on his current deal at the King Power with Arteta and technical director Edu keen to bring the 25-year-old to the Emirates.
READ MORE: Raphinha to Arsenal link highlights Mikel Arteta's secret transfer criteria
So, if Tielemans was to make the move to Arsenal in the summer, what sort of impact could he have on Arteta's side? Could the 25-year-old help the club qualify for the Champions League?
We simulated the 2022/23 season with Tielemans in the Arsenal squad and this is what happened.
We 'signed' Youri Tielemans for Arsenal next season
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Tielemans to join Arteta's side at the start of the summer transfer window, using FM22 to run the simulation. This is what Tielemans' in-game profile looks like on FM22.
Tielemans is an elite central midfielder with brilliant technical, mental and physical attributes. The Belgium international can create chances from a deeper role whilst offering defensive cover, excelling in his First Touch (16), Passing (18), Technique (17), Anticipation (16), Composure (16), Vision (18) and Natural Fitness (16).
Tielemans' player traits see him try shots from distance and look to play his way out of trouble due to his technical ability on the ball. The 25-year-old has brilliant Work Rate (15), Off The Ball (15) and Teamwork (14) for a creative player, making Tielemans an all-rounder in midfield.
The Belgian had a stellar season for the Gunners registering 15 assists along with three goals in his debut campaign at the Emirates. Tielemans averaged a match rating of 7.19 in all competitions, despite not featuring in the Europa League for Arteta's side as the Spaniard chose to rotate his squad in Europe.
The 25-year-old averaged a pass completion rate of 90% domestically, higher than any other Arsenal midfielder, highlighting Tielemans' ability to retain possession. The Belgium international also registered an impressive tackle success rate (80%), suggesting Tielemans wins the majority of his duels in midfield and showing he can produce defensively and offer protection in front of the defence.
At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Arsenal XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what Gunners' best XI looked like at the end of the 2022/23 season as predicted by Football Manager 2022:
Full Arsenal best XI: (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Vieira, Tielemans; Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe; Martinelli.
Tielemans' superb performances saw him win a place in the Arsenal best XI alongside Vieira, who played in a number of different roles throughout the campaign. So, how did Arsenal perform in the league and cup competitions after signing Tielemans in the summer transfer window? Let's take a look.
Arsenal's results from the 2022-23 simulation:
Arsenal secured a fourth place in the Premier League, qualifying for the Champions League ahead of rivals Tottenham. Arteta's side finished the season just three points behind Chelsea, but were leapfrogged by Erik ten Hag's Man United side.
The Gunners weren't able to close the gap to Man City though as Pep Guardiola's side finished on 99 points, just one shy of becoming centurions again as they lost one game in the entire season. Compared to the 2021/22 season, Arsenal finished one position higher, with four more points and a better goal difference by +6 with Tielemans in the team.
But Arsenal failed to win a trophy in Tielemans' debut season at the Emirates after struggling in both domestic cups and in Europe. The Gunners were beaten by Man City and Newcastle in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, before being eliminated 3-0 on aggregate by Barcelona in the Europa League latter stages.
Overall, this Football Manager simulation predicts that if Arsenal were to sign Tielemans ahead of the 2022/23 season, he could have a significant impact in Arsenal's midfield, registering an impressive 15 assists in his debut campaign. In this simulation, Tielemans helped the Gunners secure a top-four spot and qualify for the Champions League, with his attacking and defensive contributions helping to balance Arteta's team and helping them perform at a higher standard throughout the campaign.
Would you like to see Youri Tielemans sign for Arsenal this summer? Let us know in the comments!
Arsenal 'make third bid' for Lisandro Martinez amid major Raphinha transfer twist
Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: All the latest updates and rumours from the Emirates
Full Arsenal Premier League fixture list for 2022/23
£60m-rated Arsenal transfer target would choose Gunners over Man United 'all day long'
Charlie Patino's transformation, Bellerin returns - 3 things spotted in Arsenal training
