Liverpool are reportedly leading the race to sign Thomas Lemar, who is also being targeted by Arsenal for a move in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by The Independent, Liverpool are the favourites to sign Thomas Lemar, who has turned down a renewal at AS Monaco and has Anfield as his first-choice destination. Arsenal are also interested in signing the French attacker in the summer transfer window.
Lemar became a highly sought-after player in the transfer market last summer after a sensational season with AS Monaco that saw the club send shockwaves across Europe by winning the Ligue 1 title. But, that summer window also saw the principality club being stripped off their best players.
Lemar was one of those who were commanding widespread interest in him, including from Arsenal and Liverpool. But, he was not allowed to depart, and the player has since suffered a staggering dip in form, with just three goals and five assists in 23 appearances across all competitions.
BREAKING: Thomas Lemar rejects new contract proposal at AS Monaco [@lequipe] pic.twitter.com/3aMdZlhDmZ
— Anfield Edition (@AnfieldEdition) February 6, 2018
The lull in the current campaign though, hasn’t done anything to cede interest in him, with Arsenal and Liverpool still reportedly interested in signing him. The Premier League duo were reported to be eyeing a January move for Lemar as well, but have now turned their attention to bringing him in the summer instead.
At Liverpool, the departure of Philippe Coutinho has hit Jurgen Klopp’s creative options in attack, with the directness of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah now being seen as the foremost way of creating the chances. But, Lemar’s ability to see a pass means that his recruitment would add more dynamism to the Reds’ attack, making him a viable target.
Arsenal, on the other hand, lack a top class natural winger following the exits of Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott. They did address a potential shortage of goals and creativity by signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but the addition of Lemar could help provide a pacy outlet in the wide areas as well.
But, while Arsenal still remain interested, it is unclear whether the player is still one of their priority targets. Lemar’s favoured destination though, remains Liverpool, handing the Reds a major boost in his pursuit.
What further enhances their chances of signing the Frenchman is the fact that he has rejected a new deal at Monaco. It now remains to be seen if Liverpool manage to complete Lemar’s signing, and whether the bid will be an improvement on the £78 million offer that got rejected last summer.
