According to reports, Arsenal have seen their initial bid for AS Monaco’s Thomas Lemar rejected by the Ligue 1 champions. The Gunners have been in his pursuit for the last few weeks as Arsene Wenger seeks attacking reinforcements before the North London side kicks off their pre-season.
Thomas Lemar has been a hot prospect this summer transfer window with numerous top clubs vying for him following his brilliant contribution to Monaco’s title-winning campaign. Arsenal are one of them and Wenger is very keen on bringing him to Emirates as the manager wishes to nurture him into the next big thing at the club.
Wenger’s decision to shift to a three-man defence was a little too late last season as they were already out of the top four by then. But, the tactics did help the Gunners win the FA Cup by beating better sides like Manchester City and Chelsea, who clearly had a stronger squad. And the Frenchman wishes to bring in reinforcements along that line.
Arsenal’s need for potential wing-backs have doubled as a result and with Hector Bellerin as the only viable option remaining on the right flank, Wenger needs immediate additions. Both Mathieu Debuchy and Carl Jenkinson are expected to leave Emirates this summer which makes Lemar’s arrival a necessity that Wenger cannot just cross out.
The 21-year-old French international has scored a whopping 14 goals and assisted 17 times for Monaco in all competition. He caught the attention with his sizzling Champions League performance where he was involved in seven goals directly. He is definitely a brilliant long-term investment for any side and a terrific investor Wenger would know it more than anything.
An academy product of French club SM Caen, AS Monaco, realised his talent back in the summer of 2015. He wasted little time in impressing the coaches and the fans from the right flank and his brilliant consistency has even earned him a national call-up last year in November. Since then, he has played for them twice.
Lemar is known for his terrific pace, composed passing, and breathe-taking dribbling, a rare trait among footballers that makes the likes of Hector Bellerin, Gareth Bale and others exceptional in their job. Having such a player on the flanks could give Arsenal a terrific attacking dimension who will have the likes of Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck up to get the desired outcome.
Arsenal had tabled a £30 million for the player, and they are expected to make an improved bid in the coming days.
