Arsenal's pursuit of Tielemans goes against Keane's firm advice for Arteta

It's been a rollercoaster few months for Arsenal and Tottenham, whose fortunes have seemingly become entwined in recent months.

The two north London rivals were left to slug it out for the final Champions League spot at the end of the season; a battle that Arsenal came off second best in. And Spurs appear to have beaten their rivals to the punch again in the transfer market.

Yves Bissouma has reportedly on the radar of both Arsenal and Tottenham, but Antonio Conte has stolen a march on Mikel Arteta in the race for Brighton's midfield enforcer, with Spurs reportedly closing in on a £25million deal for the 25-year-old.

However, Arsenal may not be too disappointed, as they appear to have prioritised striking a deal for Leicester playmaker Youri Tielemans above anything else. Both Bissouma and Tielemans have been highly sought after by teams in the Premier League's 'Big Six' for an extended period - but they're very different players.

Tielemans is a classy operator, but the Gunners already boast an abundance of technical wizardry in their midfield ranks. Whereas Bissouma, on paper, would have been the perfect partner to sit alongside Thomas Partey at the base of the Arsenal midfield.

Arteta's current side lacks fight rather than flair, which makes their decision to prioritise a move for Tielemans rather than Bissouma all the more bizarre. Both players are expected to move on for a similar fee this summer, meaning that finances wouldn't have prevented them from pursuing the Mali midfielder, who would have provided some much-needed physicality to the Gunners.

Join the debate! Who do you think would be the better signing for Arsenal - Bissouma or Tielemans? Let us know here.

Arsenal's physical shortcomings were highlighted previously by Roy Keane, who urged the Gunners to add some more steel to their side after Partey initially joined the club. Speaking to Sky Sports back in November 2020, Keane said: "Arsenal have been lacking aggression for years. There's still a softness to them.

"I think he [Partey] will be a good signing for them. I know he's only been in the door two minutes but give him a chance. He's got the physicality in midfield that Arsenal lacked over the last few years.

"That's been one of the criticisms toward Arsene Wenger's teams; technically very good but when the going gets tough, a lot of their players go missing. I still think that's an issue with this team. I think there's a softness to them. Particularly in the back four or back five when they play that in the bigger games. That's certainly a big problem for Arsenal."

Partey has made a big difference in that respect, but he's had a chequered injury record since arriving at the Emirates. Arsenal's top-four challenge fell apart without him in the final weeks of the season - which makes their desire to pursue a move for Tielemans rather than a player in the Partey mould even more peculiar.