"It’s not something we are thinking of" - Premier League club's manager not willing to sell Arsenal and Liverpool target in January

Arsenal and Liverpool have been dealt a serious blow in their reported pursuit of Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans. Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers has ruled out a potential departure of the 25-year-old ahead of the winter transfer window.

Arsenal and Liverpool are keeping tabs on Tielemans as they both look to bolster their options in the middle of the park (via Liverpool Echo). With the player's current contract with Leicester City expiring next summer, many expect them to cash in on him in January. However, Rodgers insists that that isn't an option the club is looking at.

He said:

“It’s not something we are thinking of [selling Tielemans] and not anything the club have said we need to do. We don’t want to be offloading our best players, that’s for sure."

He added:

“So there has been no hint or indication we need to generate money and move him on. But, of course, there’s a business side to the club that they will look at."

Rodgers went on to reveal that he's had talks with the Belgian already during the summer. He added that the Arsenal and Liverpool target is focused on Leicester despite the speculation linking him an exit from the King Power Stadium.

He continued:

“We had a number of long chats in the summer. There is clearly no doubt even a young guy who is focused like Youri and very professional, it can have an impact. But he has been fully focused. He doesn’t let that affect him. He is a top-class professional, he sees the game how I see it."

“On the field he understands what is happening within the game and that’s all he can do – give his very best – and his recent performances have been excellent," the Irishman added.

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How the Liverpool and Arsenal target has fared so far this season

Tielemans in action for Leicester City against Wolves last weekend.

Tielemans remains a vital cog in Rodgers' side at Leicester City. The Belgian has made 14 appearances for the Foxes across all competitions this campaign, recording two goals and one assist to his name.

The player's market value currently stands at €45 million, meaning that Liverpool and Arsenal will need to submit a decent bid if they want to sign him.

Tielemans has registered 26 goals and 25 assists in 171 games for Leicester since arriving from AS Monaco in 2019.