Liverpool have reportedly entered the race for AS Monaco winger Thomas Lemar and are set to battle Arsenal for the Frenchman.
According to an exclusive from French publication Le 10 Sport, Liverpool have entered the chase for AS Monaco winger Thomas Lemar. The Reds are resigned to lose Coutinho to Barcelona and are now set to battle Arsenal for the French superstar with the aim of replacing the outbound Brazilian.
Thomas Lemar has quickly risen up the ladder in world football. Joining Monaco from Caen in the summer of 2015, the player has since established himself as a regular in the side. However, it was the 2016-17 campaign wherein the winger emerged as one of the most highly-rated prospects.
Monaco stunned PSG by dethroning Les Parisiens as the domestic champions while going on a decent run in the UEFA Champions League as well – the club lost to Juventus in the semi-finals of the competition. And Lemar was at the heart of their entire campaign.
Thomas Lemar – The French Wizard pic.twitter.com/QOohwMhdqu
— H (@Lemaresque_) July 29, 2017
The 21-year-old appeared 55 times for Monaco last season, with 14 goals and 17 assists to his name – a great return for a winger. His performances have seen him, along with several of his teammates, linked with several top clubs in the summer.
Monaco have already lost Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva and Tiemoue Bakayoko, with Kylian Mbappe and Thomas Lemar also reported to have one foot out the club. Leonardo Jardim has also seen the club add few names to the squad as well, with Youri Tielemans being the most prominent of names.
Arsenal have had three bids rejected for Thomas Lemar as Monaco remain insistent on retaining the Frenchman’s services. The Gunners have been looking for a replacement for Alexis Sanchez, who is likely to leave the club for league rivals Manchester City.
Arsenal have reportedly agreed personal terms with Lemar long back. But, Monaco’s insistence has compounded their trouble to sign the player. And their problems have multiplied, with Liverpool entering the race for the 21-year-old.
Liverpool, too – like Arsenal – are set to lose their talisman in Coutinho. And while the Reds seem to put forth a stand of the player not being available for sale, Barcelona have been growing confident of landing the player this summer.
With the sale set to land the Reds an inflow of cash, the club are looking to replace the player with Lemar. Liverpool have shown an interest in Christian Pulisic as well. But, Dortmund are unlikely to let their prized asset and a potentially future superstar go, which has seen them shift to the Frenchman.
BREAKING: Monaco have rejected a €50m bid from Arsenal for winger Thomas Lemar, according to @lequipe pic.twitter.com/PRFj40blJV
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 28, 2017
Liverpool could sneak in a deal. Their increased cash inflow means they can challenge Arsenal for the player financially while the Reds have the upper hand, given the fact that they can offer Champions League football – potentially – while Lemar will have to contend with Europa League if he signs for Arsenal.
It will be interesting to see how this develops. And, the winner might just depend on either or both of their talismans leaving their respective clubs.
