There has been a major boost for West Ham and Arsenal in a bid to sign Youri Tielemans as the actions of Brendan Rodgers drop a clear hint.
London rivals West Ham and Arsenal are reportedly keen to try and prise the 25-year-old midfielder away from Leicester this summer (The Mirror).
Both David Moyes and Mikel Arteta need to strengthen central midfield as a top priority before the transfer window closes.
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West Ham have only Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice and for Arsenal it is now the weakest area of their side.
The talented and intelligent playmaker would make the Hammers or the Gunners a better side.
Tielemans has bagged 24 goals and 24 assists in 157 games for Leicester (Transfermarkt).
Moyes is said to be desperately trying to hijack Arteta’s move to sign the 52-capped Belgium international (The Mirror).
He could be available for around £40 million this summer as he enters the last year of his contract (The Sun).
Now there has been a major boost for West Ham and Arsenal in their bid to sign Tielemans as the actions of Brendan Rodgers drop a clear hint.
Because according to The Daily Mail Leicester have opened talks to sign Feyenoord star Orkun Kokcu as a replacement for Tielemans.
And the 21-year-old Turkish international is said to be open to the move.
That will give West Ham and Arsenal the green light to push for Tielemans. Particularly as the report claims Rodgers must offload players first.
West Ham have also been linked with Kokcu – who bears striking similarities to Tielemans.
Should Leicester sign Kokcu then West Ham and Arsenal will fancy their chances of getting a deal done with the Foxes for Tielemans.
But the big risk for West Ham would be missing out on Kokcu to Leicester and then Tielemans to Arsenal.
Tielemans is not the only Belgian midfield ace at the centre of a transfer battle between West Ham and Arsenal.
At the weekend it was reported Moyes and Arteta both want to sign Lille’s Amadou Onana (HITC).
