Arsenal may have ‘left it too late’ to sign Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans in the current transfer window, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium throughout the summer, but a formal offer is yet to arrive from the Gunners with September’s deadline fast approaching.

What is the latest news involving Tielemans?

Back in May, The Telegraph reported that Mikel Arteta was pushing the Arsenal hierarchy to make a £25 million bid for Tielemans, who only has one year remaining on his current contract.

However, GOAL then revealed that the north London outfit had cooled their pursuit in the Belgium international as they focussed their attention on bringing in other targets such as Gabriel Jesus.

It was expected that Arsenal would revive their interest in Tielemans once other players had been brought into the club, yet it no longer looks as though that will happen.

Football.London have recently stated that the capital club are prepared to wait until the technician's contract expires in order to snap him up on a free transfer as the Foxes’ demands are deemed too high.

It’s claimed that Leicester are looking to receive a fee ‘in the region of £32m’ and that sporting director Edu is in no rush to sign Tielemans.

What has Jones said about Tielemans?

Jones believes that Arsenal are now working ‘against the clock’ to sign Tielemans as Leicester have got ‘plans of their own to fulfil’ before the window slams shut on September 1.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, he said: “Arsenal are against the clock on this one now. I mean, they've just left it too late.

“Leicester have got plans of their own to fulfil, this isn't a team that are knocking around at the bottom of the Premier League.”

Do Arsenal need Tielemans?

While there is little doubting Tielemans’ ability, it is questionable whether Arsenal are in need of a player with his attributes at this moment in time.

Arteta currently has Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Mohamed Elneny to call upon in the middle of the park, while summer signing Oleksandr Zinchenko is also comfortable playing there.

Therefore, Edu is perhaps justified in his patient approach to the situation, although that could change if another potential suitor swoops in and snaps Tielemans up from under Arsenal’s nose.