Arsenal in Youri Tielemans transfer blow as Leicester chiefs ‘believe they can convince midfielder to sign new deal’

ARSENAL face a transfer setback over Youri Tielemans with Leicester bosses confident he will sign a new deal, according to reports.

The Belgian has long been chased by the London club and speculation mounted in the summer that they would land him.

But Tielemans remained at the King Power and has been crucial in helping the club recover from their poor start.

But off-the-pitch and questions over his future have flared up again.

The 25-year-old's contract runs out at the end of the season and there had been concerns the Foxes could lose one of their stars for free.

But the report that bosses at the club are increasingly confident of getting him to sign a new deal.

A contract has been on the table for two years for Tielemans but he has yet to sign it.

But the Leicester hierarchy have maintained close contact with the player's representatives and are hopeful of getting him to change his mind.

If they are unable to, the former Monaco man could leave on a free in the summer.

There is an even more immediate threat to Leicester as Tielemans is able to sign pre-contracts with foreign clubs from January, meaning the Midlands side only have weeks before other clubs can involve themselves in negotiations.

After a lukewarm beginning to 2022, Tielemans' form has ticked up considerably in recent weeks.

Wonder goals against Wolves and then at Goodison Park versus Everton have helped the midfielder remind fans and clubs of his value.

He will now be looking to impress even further at the World Cup for his country.

Belgium's golden generation have underperformed at major tournaments but will attempt to go all the way in Qatar.

First they must navigate an intriguing group containing Canada, Morocco and Croatia.