United manager Erik ten Hag to come for Mikel Arteta with his transfer trick now enraging managers
Youri Tielemans appears to have his heart set on Arsenal, but if the Gunners aren’t careful, he might find himself lining up in the red of Manchester United next season instead.
The Belgian international has long been considered as one of the most technically brilliant midfielders functioning outside of the Premier League’s ‘big-six,’ and his current deal with Leicester City expires in a year.
Keeping this in mind, Tielemans is anticipated to be offered at a low cost.
According to recent sources, Arsenal has had personal terms with the player agreed upon for some time, and Tielemans is eager to join the club.
However, as promising as it sounds, Mikel Arteta’s side have yet to make an official offer to Leicester.
The Foxes are awaiting a first bid from the Gunners, but it appears that Arsenal is pursuing almost every other target at the moment.
With Gabriel Jesus recently wrapped up and secured, many anticipate Arteta and company to now focus their efforts on signing Tielemans.
Instead, it appears that the club will compete with Manchester United for Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez.
Arsenal were the first to be linked with the Argentine after submitting a £30 million proposal, which was quickly rejected by the Dutch giants.
A second proposal was made but was rejected before United intervened and offered more than Arsenal had and already had the advantage of the player having previously worked closely with new Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag.
United has made a practise of outbidding rival clubs’ proposals this transfer window, which is how they signed Dutch left-back Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord.
For weeks, it appeared like the Netherlands international would join Lyon after the French club made three official bids for the defender.
The third was accepted by Feyenoord, which thought the offer of £13 million plus £2 million in add-ons was worth it – but that was before United intervened.
Malacia was only ever going to Old Trafford when the Red Devils placed £15 million on the table, much to the chagrin of the Lyon leadership.
Club president Vincent Ponsot stated that signing Malacia was not worth “endangering” the club.
.”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’ strategy appears to be to wait until a transfer fee has been agreed upon between two other clubs for a player they like before hijacking the deal with a superior offer for the selling party.
It’s what they did with Malacia and Martinez, and if Arsenal isn’t watchful, it might happen again with Tielemans.
Though the Gunners aren’t knocking on his door at the King Power, the fact that the two parties have agreed on personal terms suggests he is highly regarded by the Arsenal management.
With this in mind, Arsenal’s lack of movement on Tielemans has fueled speculation that Ten Hag may try to lure him to Old Trafford instead.
The Red Devils had considered signing the midfielder before opting for Bruno Fernandes in January 2020, but they could reconsider if the Gunners don’t get there first.
Maurizio Sarri, the manager of Lazio, threw gasoline to the fire before the season’s finish by acknowledging 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.
It remains to be seen where either Tielemans or Milinkovic-Savic finish up next season, but if Arsenal are serious about either, they should act quickly before United intervenes.
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United manager Erik ten Hag to come for Mikel Arteta with his transfer trick now enraging managers
