Is this Youri Tielemans’ Arsenal audition?

An anticipatory Emirates faithful are ready and raring to see Mikel Arteta’s young Gunners in Premier League action for the first time since Everton were dispatched 5-1 to round off the 2021/22 season.

Arsenal have evolved considerably since that bitter-sweet day under the north London sun with many projecting the club to build on the promise teased last season. The additions of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko have undoubtedly helped Arteta’s cause, as has the return of teenage defender William Saliba, who starred in the season-opener away at Crystal Palace.

However, it’s not just the Arsenal new boys that supporters should be keeping a close eye on because a potential future employee will also be lining up against the Gunners on Saturday. Youri Tielemans is, somehow, still a Leicester player and he played 90 minutes for the Foxes last Sunday in their 2-2 draw with Brentford.

The Belgian international has generated interest from Arsenal this summer, but Edu and co are unwilling to match Leicester’s reported £30m valuation of the midfielder, who has just a year left on his contract and is unwilling to pen an extension. The Foxes are happy to part ways with Tielemans for the right price this summer, but the Gunners are currently content to play the waiting game and sign the midfielder on a free in 2023.

However, should strong interest in the Leicester man emerge from elsewhere – potentially from Newcastle – before the September deadline, then the club may be forced into premature action.

Moreover, could Tielemans force Arsenal’s hand with a storming performance on Saturday?

Is this Youri Tielemans’ Arsenal audition?

The Belgian will make up a technically proficient and well-balanced Leicester midfield that functioned as a Johan Cruyff-inspired diamond in the draw with Brentford. Tielemans was deployed opposite the all-action Kieran Dewsbury-Hall, while Wilfred Ndidi and James Maddison made up the base and tip respectively. It’ll be an intriguing battle in the middle of the park, with Leicester, on paper, boasting a numerical superiority thanks to Maddison’s savvy movement.

Ndidi’s limitations in possession mean that Tielemans plays a pivotal role in Leicester’s build-up, and considering how well Arsenal can press – especially at the Emirates – it’ll be a big challenge for the Belgian, who’ll undoubtedly want to impress Arteta.

As it stands, while Arsenal boast a pretty strong interest in Tielemans, their stance would suggest that he’s not a priority this summer. Otherwise, he most certainly would be a Gooner by now. The left-sided #8 role was regarded by many as a key position of need ahead of 2022/23, but Granit Xhaka’s impressive pre-season and value as a leader has seemingly thrust the idea of signing another midfielder down the list of the club’s priorities. Arsenal also possess the likes of Fabio Vieira, Zinchenko, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Emile Smith Rowe who can perform that function.

Nevertheless, Tielemans is a profile that aligns with what Arteta is trying to achieve in north London. The Premier League-proven midfielder is one of the best passers the division has to offer, and he’s capable of wreaking havoc from both the right and left half-spaces. While there are flaws, there’s no doubting that he’d be a notable upgrade on Xhaka in that specific function (left-sided #8) and he has the chance on Saturday to startle his potential future employers.

If Leicester are to get a result on Saturday, they’ll be leaning on Tielemans to bypass Arsenal’s press and free the likes of Maddison and Jamie Vardy, who loves scoring at the Emirates, in transition.

This is a huge game for Youri Tielemans with everyone at Arsenal poised to be keeping a close eye on Leicester’s number eight.