Barcelona joined by Real Madrid in pursuit of 25-year-old Premier League midfielder

In the past few weeks, Barcelona have been linked with a host of central midfielders, with the club said to be on the lookout for new faces in the middle of the park.

One name that has been doing the rounds a lot of late is that of Leicester City star Youri Tielemans. The 25-year-old is a versatile operator who can play in any role in midfield and will see his contract with the Premier League side expire at the end of the season.

It has put him in Barcelona’s crosshairs, with reports indicating that Tielemans’ signing is being endorsed by the club’s sporting director, Jordi Cruyff.

However, according to a fresh report from SPORT, Barcelona have now been joined by arch-rivals Real Madrid in pursuit of Tielemans.

The report indicates that Los Blancos see the Belgian international as Plan B in case they fail in their attempts to land their primary midfield target Jude Bellingham.

The England international is at the top of Real Madrid’s summer shopping list but could cost around €100-150 million in the summer. Furthermore, Manchester City are confident of capturing his services, which has forced Los Blancos to rethink their strategies.

It has led them to rival Barcelona in the race for Tielemans. The 25-year-old is also on the radars of several other clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Juventus.

However, the report states that Arsenal might have an edge over Barcelona and other competitors as there have been contacts between them and the player already.

Tielemans can be a good addition at Barcelona considering that he would come free of cost in terms of transfer fees and would add more depth and quality in midfield, along with experience.

However, with more and more suitors emerging in his pursuit, it could become impossible for the Catalans to sign the Belgian international.