Arsenal have been left stunned as Monaco have made a u-turn on the teams’ Thomas Lemar transfer. The two sides looked to have agreed a £50 million deal last week, but it looks to have fallen apart now.
Monaco’s vice president Vadim Vasilyev has confirmed the Lemar transfer is no longer on the table.
“We have kept all of the key players that we intended to keep,” Vasilyev said. “I will address speculation relating to the case of (Thomas) Lemar.
“He is staying with us. He is an immense talent and is essential for the team.”
Monaco had been reluctant to sell Lemar this summer as the player had been previously identified as one of the most important keys for Monaco’s upcoming season. The club will defend their French Ligue 1 title in the coming term as well as play in the Champions League.
Lemar had been expected to be a replacement for Alexis Sanchez, if he leaves the Emirates this summer.
Arsenal will need to turn their attention to other transfer options now. The team have been linked with Sporting’s William Carvalho.