Arsenal appear to be the club Youri Tielemans has his heart set on, but if the Gunners aren't careful he could find himself lining up in the red of Manchester United next season instead.
The Belgian international has long been regarded as one of the most technically gifted midfielders operating outside of the Premier League's 'big-six' and has just one year left on his current contract with Leicester City. With that in mind, Tielemans is expected to be available at a cut-price fee.
Recent reports have claimed that Arsenal have actually had personal terms with the player agreed for some time and Tielemans is desperate to make the move to the Emirates. However, as promising as that sounds - Mikel Arteta's side are yet to actually submit any kind of formal offer to Leicester.
The Foxes are awaiting a first bid from the Gunners, but it would appear as if Arsenal are pursuing just about every other target at the moment instead. With Gabriel Jesus recently wrapped up and secured, many expect Arteta and co. to now devote the majority of their time to signing Tielemans.
Instead, the reality looks as if the club are going to go head-to-head with United for Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez. Arsenal were the first to be touted with the Argentine after they submitted a bid of £30m which was swiftly rejected by the Dutch giants.
A second bid followed but met the same fate before United intervened and offered above what Arsenal had mustered up and already boast the advantage of the player having worked closely with new Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag previously.
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United have made gazumping other club's offers somewhat of a habit this transfer window - it is how they signed Dutch left-back Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord. For weeks it looked as if the Netherlands international was Lyon-bound after the French outfit submitted three official bids for the defender.
The third was actually accepted by Feyenoord, who deemed the offer of £13million plus £2m in add-ons worth their while - but that was before United's intervention. Once the Red Devils slapped £15m plus the further £2m in add-ons on the table, Malacia was only ever heading to Old Trafford, much to the fury of the Lyon hierarchy.
Club director Vincent Ponsot insisted that signing Malacia was not worth "endangering" the entire institution. "I’m going to be very clear: the institution is always stronger than any player," he added.
"Sometimes there are demands – that’s how it is in the world of football – that can’t be made. It’s true that it can sometimes collapse deals. But we want a left-back, and we’ll find a good left-back."
The Red Devils' trick appears to be to wait until a transfer fee has been agreed between two other clubs over a player they are also interested in before hijacking the deal with a better offer for the selling party.
It is what they have done for Malacia, Martinez and if Arsenal aren't wary it could happen again with Tielemans. Though the Gunners are hardly banging on the door for him at the King Power, the fact the two parties have agreed personal terms would suggest he is highly thought of by the Arsenal hierarchy.
With that in mind, Arsenal's lack of progress on the Tielemans front has led to rumours that Ten Hag may try to entice him to Old Trafford instead.
United may not have things all their own way this window, as their reported target Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is now thought to be on Arsenal's transfer wish list. The Serbian international is contracted to Lazio until 2024 but is potentially being permitted to leave in a bid to raise funds.
The Red Devils had actually explored signing the midfielder before they opted for Bruno Fernandes in January of 2020 but could look to revive their interest - providing the Gunners don't get there first. Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri added further fuel to the fire before the season's end by admitting Milinkovic-Savic could be on the move.
"Speaking with the president, I am convinced that if he goes away, and it is not an easy thing, he will not stay in Italy," the Biancocelesti coach told reporters.
Where either of Tielemans or Milinkovic-Savic potentially end up next term remains to be seen, but if Arsenal are serious about either they should act fast before United's inevitable intervention.
