Arsenal Step-Up Pursuit Of £80m-Rated Liverpool Target

The transfer window may be closed but clubs are still working hard ahead of January and next summer so we’ll bring you all the latest gossip from around the globe. Today, Arsenal continue their pursuit of Thomas Lemar….

Arsenal have stepped-up their pursuit of Thomas Lemar after scouts watched him put-in an impressive goal-scoring display for Monaco at the weekend, according to Football.London.

Lemar emerged as one of the hottest young attacking talents in European football after providing 14 goals and 17 assists to help fire Monaco to the Ligue 1 title last season.

The 21-year-old caught the attention of clubs here in the Premier League with Arsenal and Liverpool both strongly linked with the attacker throughout the summer transfer window.

Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev confirmed earlier this month that Liverpool showed a keen interest but claimed it was Arsenal who came closest to securing a deal to sign Lemar but a proposed big-money deal collapsed on deadline day.

The duo are expected to renew their interest in the French international but Vasilyev suggested that any potential deal would have to wait until the end of the season as they aren’t looking to sell in January.

He’s quoted as saying by the Mirror earlier this month:

“Liverpool were really interested. But it was Arsenal that was really close to finalising the deal. It was quite close. At the same time it was just too late, not enough time, to really follow up on this deal. Not all the elements of the puzzle fell in place.

“I’m very happy he stayed with us. For us, we need a player like Thomas Lemar. He’s very important to our team.

“[But] definitely next summer will be something to look at, although you know in football there are no guarantees. We had some players who were supposed to leave this summer but didn’t because of X, Y, Z.

“I think it would be fair to say Thomas will have a fair chance to exit next year. January, in football, never say never, but this is not what we’re thinking of, this is really not in our plans.

“January doesn’t seem like the right time for major changes in the team.”

It seems Arsenal have already stepped-up their interest in Lemar as Football London claim that Arsene Wenger had scouts in the stands to watch the winger during Monaco’s win over Bordeaux at the weekend.

And the Gunners reps would have been impressed by what they saw as Lemar sealed a 2-0 win for the visitors with a superb solo goal midway through the second half.

We’ll have to wait and see whether Arsenal, or indeed Liverpool, decide to renew their interest this winter but Football London suggest it will take around £80m to persuade Monaco to sell so the duo better be prepared to dig deep.

READ MORE –> Arsenal transfer news | Liverpool transfer news

With Alexis Sanchez expected to leave Arsenal when his contract expires and Philippe Coutinho still being linked with Barcelona, Wenger and Klopp could be in the market for a new attacker and I think Lemar would be a superb signing for either club.