Reports have come out stating that Liverpool are no longer pursuing a move AS Monaco winger, Thomas Lemar. The Reds had pegged him as Philippe Coutinho’s replacement but are going to look into other candidates for the summer window. They had already invested £75m on Virgil Van Dijk and Jurgen Klopp was unwilling to meet Monaco’s £90m asking price for Lemar.
The price is expected to drop significantly in the summer now that the 22-year-old has rejected a contract extension with Ligue 1 outfit. However, Klopp might have already changed his mind and this leaves other Premier League clubs in the open to chase the highly rated wide man.
Lemar broke into the big stage of football after a fantastic last season at Monaco. The left-footed attacking midfielder, who can also play as a winger, scored 13 goals and created 14 more in 52 appearances in the 2016/17 campaign. The French winger who was a star player in the free-flowing Monaco team last year created 106 chances alone for the Ligue 1 champions.
Lemar has registered 8 appearances for the French national side and is expected to be in the squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Klopp’s disinterest to sign him can be attributed to the steep drop in form he is currently undergoing. A 3-goal tally along with 5 assists generally indicates that the 22-year-old might not be a long-term asset. However, his talents are undeniable and here are 3 teams who will be greatly benefitted by his arrival.
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Arsenal
The Gunners are currently looking for an out-and-out winger to complete their attacking jigsaw. The lineup of Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the creative role requires a pacey wide man who can run at the opposition defence. Arsene Wenger has already lost both Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as a wing option and holds the 22-year-old in high regards.
Chelsea
They are in danger of losing Eden Hazard to Real Madrid and will need a quality replacement next season. Even if Hazard does end up staying, Antonio Conte still needs another attacking option now that Charly Musonda has departed on loan and Willian is constantly struggling with injury. Pedro mainly operates in the striker role and fails to supply the attack with balls from the wide areas.
Manchester City
Leroy Sane is set to miss out on another month of football and Pep Guardiola wanted to bring in Riyad Mahrez to replace him. Leicester’s asking price turned out to be too much and the Spaniard backed out at the last minute. He is still interested in bolstering the squad and will need a few more options other than just Bernardo Silva on the wings.
