Arsenal dealt transfer blow as Newcastle United make inquiries to sign 25-year-old: Reports

Arsenal could be set to suffer a setback in their pursuit of Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans as Newcastle United have reportedly joined the race to sign the Belgian.

English journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that Newcastle United Sporting director Dan Ashworth has made inquiries about the 25-year-old, whilst speaking with The Football Terrace.

Youri Tielemans has been one of the standout players for Leicester City in recent years. He helped the club secure consecutive fifth-place finishes in the Premier League during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns.

He scored the only goal in the final, a stunning long-range strike, in the 2020-21 FA Cup final against Chelsea as the Foxes lifted the trophy. Tielemans was one of the shining lights in what was an otherwise disappointing campaign for Brendan Rodgers' side last season.

He scored six goals in 32 appearances for the club. The midfielder has just one year left on his contract with the club. Leicester City are therefore likely to opt to sell him this summer rather than risk losing him on a free transfer next year.

Arsenal missed out on Champions League qualification after a late-season slump in form. Their lack of quality and depth in their squad was seen as one of the reasons for their downfall.

Mikel Arteta is expected to prioritize signing a top-quality midfielder this summer to play alongside Thomas Partey as Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny lack the consistency and attacking ability to start on a regular basis. The Gunners are believed to be interested in Youri Tielemans but could face stiff competition from Newcastle United.

Eddie Howe's side enjoyed a brilliant end to last season as they won 12 of their last 18 Premier League games, which helped them finish 11th in the league table. The club have wasted no time this summer as they have already signed Matty Target, Sven Botman, and Nick Pope.

Youri Tielemans has emerged as the club's next transfer target. The club are believed to have a genuine interest in the midfielder.

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Youri Tielemans is likely to choose Arsenal over Newcastle United

Manchester United v Leicester City - Premier League

Former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe is seemingly leading Newcastle United in the right direction. The club's new owners, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, are likely to provide Howe with the funds he requires to sign his top transfer targets. They will look to convert the Magpies into a club that will challenge for European places in the near future.

However, Youri Tielemans is likely to prefer to play for a club that will give him the chance to play in Europe next season. Arsenal finished fifth in the Premier League table last season, thereby securing automatic qualification for next season's Europa League.

The club have also enjoyed an impressive summer as they have already signed Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Marquinhos, and Matt Turner. This has signified their desire to continue improving under Mikel Arteta and fight for a place in the top four next season. Tielemans could therefore prefer a move to Arsenal over Newcastle United this summer.