Newcastle United might pursue Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans this month, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport.

However, Jones says the Magpies are going to have to see off competition from league leaders Arsenal if they want to bring the 25-year-old to St James' Park.

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Newcastle transfer news - Youri Tielemans

According to The Athletic, Eddie Howe is keen to sign a new midfielder as he looks to improve his squad.

The same outlet also claims that Newcastle have watched Tielemans, whose ability has been described as "quite scary" by The Telegraph's Sam Dean, extensively.

Tielemans is out of contract in the summer, so perhaps he could be a genuine option for Howe in this transfer window.

Arsenal's interest, however, could complicate things, with Jones recently telling GMS that the Belgian is on their radar.

Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: Confirmed Deals, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know

What has Dean Jones said about Youri Tielemans and Newcastle?

Jones says Tielemans is a player who Newcastle could go after, though he feels Arsenal are better placed to land him.

On the Belgium international and the Magpies, the journalist said: "He might be somebody they pursue, but if they go for Tielemans, they're suddenly going to have to compete with Arsenal, who are top of the league and probably in a stronger position to actually sign him if they want to. So there's a lot to weigh out there.

"But ultimately, I think central midfield and the forward line are both situations that Newcastle are still looking to address."

Can Newcastle beat Arsenal to Tielemans' signature?

It is not impossible. Given that they are top of the table, you certainly would fancy Arsenal's chances. However, the Gunners seem to be focusing on other targets right now.

For example, according to BBC Sport, they remain in talks with Shakhtar Donetsk to sign Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk. While they focus on that, it could give Newcastle the chance to pounce on Tielemans. And considering that the Tyneside club are also occupying a Champions League spot, perhaps he would not turn down a move to St James' Park.

It would be an incredible bit of business by Newcastle, with Tielemans being a midfielder who brings a lot to the table.

Take his range of passing for instance. This season, he has averaged 2.7 long balls per game, putting him in the top five Leicester players for that statistic (via WhoScored).

Ultimately, the former AS Monaco man, who cost the Foxes £40m back in 2019, as reported by The Guardian, could be a superb addition to Howe's squad.

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