Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Youri Tielemans who is apparently struggling to get time at Monaco.

So says a report out of Italy which is short on information and what it does have doesn’t really stack up.

The 21-year-old Belgian midfielder signed for Monaco last summer, moving from Anderlecht for £22.5m amid a host of Arsenal rumours. Although Arsene Wenger and his team have gone, it seems as if the club could still be keeping an eye on the right-footer who has featured in eight matches this season, averaging 89.5 minutes per game.

That stat alone throws shade on the only bit of relevant information in the Italian report that claims rumours about his future are circulating due to Leonardo Jardim not really using him. Monaco have only played eight games this season and Tielemans has started every one of them

Speaking last summer, Tielemans said he never gave any thought to moving to Arsenal.

“I knew not much was going to change with Arsenal’s squad,” he said.

“Their management wanted to keep the same group of players together in order to finish high in the Premier League. I had to be honest with myself and take a look at the midfielders Arsenal have got. They are top-class players.

“I knew that I would not get many first-team chances with them, so I didn’t give any more thought to joining them. I never said no to any club. But I made it clear where I wanted to go.”

In the end, Arsenal finished in their lowest position under Wenger so that worked well.