Chelsea could interfere in Arsenal’s attempts to sign Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans, according to CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs.

The Gunners have been pursuing the Belgian international for the past year and they are now considering whether to sign him on a free when his contract expires in June. However, Jacobs claims Graham Potter‘s side may table an offer for the player in January:

“A dark horse to keep an eye on is someone maybe like a Youri Tielemans, who Arsenal are considering on a free transfer if he doesn’t sign a new deal at Leicester in the summer of 2023. Potentially a suitor could put down a low-value offer that they think is a bargain, hoping that Leicester take it rather than lose the player on a free. Chelsea haven’t made any significant advances on this front but that’s one to watch.”

It has been reported that the Foxes may still hold out for around £20m to sell Tielemans in January, despite only having six months left on his current deal. That doesn’t really seem like value for money.

However, there is no doubting the fact that Chelsea do need to strengthen their options in midfield. Both N’Golo Kante and Jorginho could leave at the end of the season, while Denis Zakaria’s loan move is unlikely to be turned into a permanent one.

If Leicester do make Tielemans available for a “bargain” price as Jacobs suggests, the Blues could still be tempted into making an offer.