Arsenal were set to sign Monaco midfielder Thomas Lemar in August for £90 million, only for the player to turn down a move at the 11th hour. Despite his reluctance in joining the Gunners, Arsene Wenger is expected to try to sign the Frenchman again.
Liverpool are also chasing Lemar the club are believed to be ready to use the Frenchman as Philippe Coutinho’s direct replacement. The Reds have £142m from the sale of the Brazilian, and Monaco are expected to tempt the club out of around £100m, if Liverpool truly want to sign Lemar.
Liverpool were highly interested in Lemar during the summer transfer window. However, the club never made an official approach for Lemar. Instead, Liverpool signed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal. The midfielder has made little impact since arriving, and like at Arsenal, has been used mostly as a back-up.
Arsenal still prefer Lemar over their other options as the team pursues a replacement for the outgoing Alexis Sanchez. Adding Lemar in January could see the Gunners allow Sanchez to leave. If they don’t, Arsenal will be unable to receive compensation for the Chilean when he leaves.
Monaco won France’s Ligue 1 last term, but this year has seen the team fail to make it through the group stage of the Champions League. Monaco are second in Ligue 1, and will most likely fail to catch Paris Saint-Germain in first place. The team is believed to be willing to sell Lemar now due to winning a trophy being improbable halfway through the season. Monaco are still in the French League Cup, and Lemar scored a goal in the team’s 2-1 win over Nice on Tuesday night.
Fantasy impact – Thomas Lemar
Lemar will be a highly sought after player in the Fantasy Premier League world. But that doesn’t mean he will have a big impact. At Arsenal, Lemar would replace Sanchez, and would fit right into the side. As a Gunner, Lemar would be a great addition to an FPL team. However, if Lemar did sign with Liverpool, he would play second fiddle to Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. Lemar is a winger and isn’t a true attacking midfielder such as Coutinho. It isn’t a like for like trade off. The Frenchman would fit in better with Wenger’s team, and FPL managers would see points roll in as he hooked up with Alexandre Lacazette.
Add Comment