Arsenal should NOT push for Tielemans transfer, warns Gunners icon Sagna, with Gabriel Jesus and centre-back priorities
BACARY SAGNA has warned Mikel Arteta against signing Leicester ace Youri Tielemans as Arsenal don't need any more midfielders.
SunSport have exclusively revealed how the Gunners are closing in on a £40million deal to bring the 25-year-old to the Emirates this summer.
The Belgian international looks set to depart the King Power Stadium as he has no desire to extend his contract beyond 2023.
But former Arsenal right-back Sagna has warned the North London outfit they should be prioritising signing a new striker and centre-back instead.
Manchester City centre-forward Gabriel Jesus is a known target, with his agent confirming that talks between Arsenal and the player have taken place.
And Sagna has had his say on the duo, where he stated that a replacement for Alexandre Lacazette should be Arteta's top priority.
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Speaking to SunSport via Bet365, he said: "We're talking about quality players here so of course they can have an impact on the team.
"Whether they are necessary or not is another question. I'd say the most important position is the striker.
"Lacazette is coming to the end of his contract, Arsenal already have quality midfield players and [Mohamed] Elneny who's doing really well.
"So, I'm not sure whether they should cover more of the midfield position, we've got [Thomas] Partey too and he's important.
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"In my mind they should focus on signing a centre-back and a striker. We have [Granit] Xhaka who can play out from the back but that's only ever going to be a temporary solution in the event of injuries or suspensions.
"Signing a top centre-back is something they need to do this summer transfer window."
Sagna also believes that William Saliba, who has never featured for the first team since arriving in 2019, could finally have a part to play for Arsenal.
The French defender has starred on loan at Marseille, with the player declaring he is open to staying at the Stade Velodrome for another year.
But Sagna is confident his compatriot still has a future in North London.
He remarked: "I think he does. He had an amazing season with Marseille, it's a big club with a lot of pressure and he managed the situation perfectly.
"He's been one of their best players, his time isn't over with Arsenal. The club realised he needed to play and made the decision to let him out on loan.
"It's better to let a player leave, develop at one of the biggest teams in France, deal with the pressure of being a regular starter than have him sat around on the bench back home.
"He's ready to come back to Arsenal now and play in the Premier League."