Youri Tielemans or Lucas Paquetá

 
Youri Tielemans


Youri Tielemans or Lucas Paquetá

By Tum Balogun 

Arsenal’s summer window continues to throw up a plethora of targets, a never-ending cycle of players the club wishes to obtain without a serious chance of securing their signature.

 

That assessment may be harsh considering Arsenal’s stunning £45 million signing of Brazilian Gabriel Jesus who, after one preseason game admittedly, looks to be the missing piece upfront. 


But the other major problem area - the base of midfield - remains vacant.

 

However, all is not lost Gunners fans, let’s assess two exciting options who could be the answer to Mikel Arteta’s thesis level problem. 



The case for Tielemans


A familiar face to Premier League fans - and an even more familiar name to the Arsenal rumour mill - Youri Tielemans is a class act. 


The Belgian midfielder moved to the English top-flight in 2019 after a loan spell with Leicester City from French side Monaco. 


Since then, the 25-year-old has scored 24 goals in his 158 appearances for the Foxes while laying on 24 assists for his teammates. 


Those statistics will obviously appeal to Arsenal’s recruitment team but it’s the midfielder's play style that maybe even more appealing. 


Last term, arguably Tielemans’ weakest since moving to England, saw him achieve a passing percentage of 84% from 1742 passes. 


The Belgian is a calm, patient ball player who has also shown himself adept at progressing the ball whether by forward passes or penetrative dribbles. 


And with only one year left on his contract, the icing on top of the cake is the reported £20 million it would take to pry him away from the King Power. 


Should the Gunners take the Tielemans route, fans can expect to see him take Granit Xhaka’s starting berth, should the Swiss international remain at the club. 



The case for Paquetá


Lucas Paquetá ticks a few boxes of Arsenal’s recent recruitment drive. 


At 24-years-old, the forward is the right age and as a Brazilian international, he would join the growing ranks of promising South American starlets. 


A left-footed attacker who is able to play a deeper midfield role, Paquetá feels more an alternative to Barcelona bound Raphinha than a Tielemans facsimile.


Playing for Ligue 1 side Lyon after a short stint with AC Milan, the Brazilian chipped in with nine goals and six assists from his 35 appearances in a disappointing campaign for the French team. 


Remarkably Paquetá can already boast 33 appearances for the Seleção, having made his debut in 2018. 


A very different player to Tielemans, the forward is confident on the ball and has carried a greater attacking load for the teams he has featured for. 


His appearance at the Emirates will certainly get Gunners fans off their seats; rabonas and nutmegs are aplenty when Paqueta is around. 


The Lyon man is also likely to set the Gunners back a little more than the Belgian with a reported fee of £35 million required to capture his signature. 



Verdict 


Though Lucas Pacqueta is a fine footballer who may still be improving after a difficult period settling in Europe, the chance to sign Youri Tielemans for a reduced fee should not be passed up. 


The Leicester man has bags of Premier League and international experience and plays a role the Gunners are seriously in need of filling. 


In previous summers Arsenal may have lost out on account of the competition for the Belgian’s signature but coming off the back of a challenging season there is not as much clamour for his services. 


Lack of Champions League football should also be a pill easier for Tielemans to swallow after Leicester’s sub par campaign. 

All in all, pursuing Tielemans is a no brainer and should be relatively easy to complete as long as Newcastle United don’t enter the chat. 


Photo Credit: Getty Images 

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