"He's on their shortlist" - Journalist makes Arsenal transfer claim about 25-year-old star

CBS Reporter Ben Jacobs has made the bold claim that Youri Tielemans is currently on Arsenal's shortlist, according to GiveMeSport.

The 25-year-old has been linked with the Gunners throughout this summer as he faces an uncertain future with Leicester City.

Tielemans is now into the final 12 months of his contract with the Foxes. Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha has revealed that no offers have been made for the midfielder yet.

Jacobs, who'd previously revealed to GiveMeSport that Arsenal have reached a personal agreement with the Belgian, believes that he's still on the Gunners' radar.

He said:

“He’s on their shortlist, but they haven’t made a move and nobody’s made a move for Tielemans yet. That’s really interesting because when one club makes a move, it might trigger others into action.”

There is just a month left until the summer transfer deadline of September 1. So, Arsenal will have to up the ante if they're serious about landing Tielemans in the 2022-23 season.

However, according to talkSPORT, Arteta has some concerns about the Belgian's physicality. This could be the reason why the Gunners haven't pursued their interest strongly. The Spaniard isn't sure if Tielemans is the player he's looking for.

From: @JacobsBen "As Leicester have said and as I’ve said repeatedly, Arsenal have never made an offer for Youri Tielemans."

“What they have done is gone to the player and agreed personal terms, broadly speaking. https://t.co/kZtD0f87yw

Tielemans remains a fine player and has delivered for Leicester consistently since arriving from AS Monaco in January 2019.

Since then, he's made 158 appearances in all competitions, including 120 in the Premier League, while scoring and assisting 24 goals each.

The Belgian has also won two trophies with the Foxes - the 2020-21 FA Cup followed by the 2021 Community Shield.

Arsenal wrap up impressive pre-season in style

Arsenal have been on a roll this pre-season and wrapped up their preparations for the 2022-23 season with a 6-0 thumping of Sevilla on Saturday.

That made it six wins for the Gunners in seven friendly games this summer, with the 2-1 loss to Brentford being the only low note.

Mikel Arteta's team approached their pre-season campaign with utmost seriousness, while new arrivals also showed signs of settling in.

🇩🇪 Nurnberg 3-5 Arsenal 🔴
🔴 Arsenal 2-0 Everton 🔵
🇺🇸 Orlando City 1-3 Arsenal 🔴
🔴 Arsenal 4-0 Chelsea 🔵
🔴 Arsenal 6-0 Sevilla 🔵

It’s been a very impressive preseason for the Gunners 🔥👀 https://t.co/o9M4B3t3D2

Gabriel Jesus in particular was on fire, netting six goals in five appearances. The Brazilian could be set for a huge spell at the Emirates following his switch from Manchester City for £45 million.

The Gunners have big expectations from the 2022-23 season, which begins on August 6 against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.