Leicester City would be wise to ‘cut ties’ with midfielder Youri Tielemans in the upcoming transfer window, according to journalist Josh Holland.

The 25-year-old only has 12 months left to run on his current contract and is widely expected to depart the King Power Stadium this summer.

What is the latest news involving Tielemans?

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are ‘interested’ in signing Tielemans and have identified him as someone who could improve their engine room options.

However, a deal is not believed to be imminent, and negotiations are expected to take ‘some time’ with two other clubs also said to be in the running for his signature.

And one side who are likely to challenge the Gunners for Tielemans is their local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The Times previously revealed that Spurs are ‘keeping tabs’ on the Belgium international’s situation, and they may have to move soon for the technically gifted ace with Arsenal reportedly lining up a £25 million offer.

What has Holland said about Tielemans?

Holland told GiveMeSport: “I don't think he wants to stay at Leicester, and I think (Brendan) Rodger's knows that. So, I think the best thing for both parties would be to cash in on him while they can, even if it is £25 million.

“It's not the best for Leicester fans to see a player like Tielemans leave, but we always knew that when he joined in 2019 permanently from Monaco that he was going to use the club as a steppingstone.

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“And he has got better, he obviously won the club the FA Cup, but it's kind of become a bit toxic between the fan base and Tielemans in terms of his work rate and performances.

“His attitude has been perfect, but his running stats have not really been the best, and I think the fans have noticed that and they’ve kind of got on his back a bit. So, I think it's best to cut ties now, and he got his goodbye.”

Would Tielemans be a big loss?

Tielemans has established himself as a top-class midfielder since arriving at Leicester on an initial loan deal in January 2019, registering 24 goals and 24 assists in 158 appearances across all competitions.

His stunning strike against Chelsea secured the Foxes their maiden FA Cup crown in 2021, and his underlying numbers further illustrate his importance to Brendan Rodger’s charges.

As per FBref, Tielemans has ranked in the 94^th percentile for total shots, 89^th for expected assists, 88^th for progressive passes and 85^th for shot-creating actions compared to his positional peers over the last year.

Losing such a pivotal cog in Leicester’s midfield would be a real setback for Rodgers and replacing him sufficiently will surely take precedence this summer.