Jose Mourinho masterminds Roma hijack for Arsenal, Liverpool target with Serie A club ‘pressing’ for statement capture
Jose Mourinho could cause Arsenal and Liverpool problems in the summer transfer window as Roma are interested in landing a top Premier League midfielder, according to a report.
Mourinho guided Roma to the inaugural Europa Conference League trophy during his first season with the club and could be set for another successful campaign. Roma currently occupy fourth spot in Serie A and might qualify for next season’s Champions League.
They have also beaten Feyenoord in the Europa League quarter-final to set up a semi-final clash with Bayer Leverkusen. Winning the Europa League the year after triumphing in the Europa Conference League would be a brilliant achievement for the side.
Mourinho’s future at Roma has come into question recently. He has been linked with both the Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil national team jobs.
But Roma are desperate for the Portuguese to stay and are therefore plotting an ambitious summer to keep him.
According to Italian source Roma Giallorossa, they could usurp both Arsenal and Liverpool by capturing Youri Tielemans from Leicester.
Tielemans has run down his Leicester contract and is preparing to leave the King Power on a free transfer in the summer.
Arsenal and Liverpool have been alerted to the situation as they hunt midfield reinforcements for their respective squads.
Roma eye Prem midfielder swoop
Liverpool in particular could do with signing a player of Tielemans’ quality given their problems in midfield over the last few years.
But the report states Roma are trying to sign Tielemans before those two Premier League giants and have begun preliminary talks with his camp.
Roma sporting director Tiago Pinto ‘keeps pressing’ to add the Belgian to Mourinho’s team. Pinto is eager to sign a top-class midfielder Mourinho can rely on and Tielemans fits the bill perfectly.
Plenty has been made of the finances of Italian clubs and how they are struggling to keep up with the wealth of the Prem. As a result, landing Tielemans for no transfer fee would be a great piece of business from Roma.
It would also be a statement signing from the capital club, given the fact Tielemans has been looked at by major sides including Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona.
It is now up to the 25-year-old to decide where he wants to go next in his career. He appears comfortable in England and if he wants his family to remain in the country then he will prioritise a switch to Arsenal or Liverpool.
Alternatively, Tielemans may be attracted by the prospect of playing in Italy. Such a move would mark a new challenge for him as he has only ever featured in Belgium, France and England before.
While Tielemans’ next club has yet to be decided, what is clear is that he will be a big miss for Leicester. Tielemans has not enjoyed his best season in a Leicester shirt this term, but he has established himself as one of their most important players in recent years.
At the height of his form, Leicester were demanding £50million from his potential suitors. But they are now poised to lose him on a free.
Meanwhile, an Arsenal player has confirmed he will be leaving the Emirates permanently in the summer.
