In a recent print edition, Sport has gone on to mention that Wolverhampton Wanderers are eyeing a summer move for Atletico Madrid winger Thomas Lemar. It is understood that Wolves are ‘betting the most’ for the French attacker, who is keen on making a switch to the Premier League in this off-season (transcripted and translated by Sport Witness).
Lemar’s Disastrous Spell In Spanish Football
Lemar has failed to live up to the high expectations surrounding his arrival from AS Monaco two years ago. The 22-time French international made a total of 72 appearances for the Madrid giants, scoring just three goals and providing six goals for them thus far.
The 24-year-old had a forgettable campaign at the Spanish capital last season when he failed to find the back of the net or create a goal despite featuring in 29 matches for Diego Simeone’s team across all competitions.
The Baie-Mahault born speedster has struggled to find form since joining the Wanda Metropolitano as evident from his average of 0.6 shots, 0.4 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League in the last term. However, Lemar deserves a pat on the back for completing 84.5% of his attempted passes in both those competitions which sheds light on how well he can take care of the ball when distributing it in the attacking third (stats via whoscored).
What Will The Atletico Flop Add To Nuno Espirito Santo’s Side?
Lemar has got the pace to cause some problems for the opposition out on the wide areas and is highly versatile as he can fill on as a winger on either flank. He proved his worth as a consistent goal-scorer and productive playmaker during his time at Monaco where he registered 22 goals and 33 assists in 127 appearances.
However, the French winger has dug himself a massive hole in Spain and needs to crawl his way out of it by pushing for a summer transfer so that he can make a fresh start away from the Spanish capital. He might fancy his chances at the Molineux Stadium as Nuno Espirito Santo could be the perfect man to get the best out of him in the coming seasons.
Wolves have currently got Diogo Jota, Daniel Podence, Pedro Neto and Adama Traore as their wing options, but they can use some more pace in their attack which Lemar could bring if he decides to join the West Midlands club this summer.
At 24, the French speedster still has plenty of time to turn his career around. However, the jury is still out on whether he can rediscover his old form in the Premier League, which is renowned for its physicality and high intensity.
