What’s the story?
Arsenal are making waves in the transfer market again and according to reports from the Daily Express, the Gunners have agreed for the transfer of Thomas Lemar from AS Monaco for a fee of £48m plus bonuses. The Gunners have already broken their transfer record this summer having signed Alexandre Lacazette for £52.7m from Olympique Lyon, but are looking for further additions to fortify their attack.
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The Gunners have been in pursuit of the 21-year-old for a while. They have had two of their bids £30m and £40m rejected earlier. Arsene Wenger, however, seems to have buckled down as Arsenal have now upped their offer which has finally convinced AS Monaco to send their star winger to London.
Lemar had earlier expressed interest in playing in the Premier League and was reportedly disgruntled with the Ligue 1 champions for standing in his way.
Arsenal are currently away on their pre-season tour and will not announce the signing of Thomas Lemar until they’ve returned. Reports suggest that AS Monaco has requested the Gunners to refrain from making an unveiling until they have found a replacement for the Frenchman.
Also read: 5 reasons why Alexandre Lacazette will succeed at Arsenal
The heart of the matter
With Alexis Sanchez’s departure looking likely, Wenger has been exploring his options. The 67-year-old Frenchman had earlier said that he’ll roll the red carpet out for Lemar’s teammate Kylian Mbappe if he chooses to join the Gunners.
Thomas Lemar is a big fan of Arsene Wenger and had expressed his wish to work with the venerable veteran. The impressive winger mustered 14 goals and 14 assists in all competitions in the 2016/17 season. Out of 12 Champions League appearances for the Monaco side, the Frenchman scored twice and assisted four times in what was an impressive campaign for his club.
Lemar is known for his versatility and can play on both wings and even fill in gaps in the centre. With a wide range of skills up his sleeve, the youngster never shies away from testing the goalkeeper from range and has a mean left foot to go with it. He is also a solid set-piece taker and that’s a skill which will come in handy in England. The pacey and strong forward can also proffer swivelling crosses from the flanks and at 21, is yet to reach his peak.
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Author’s take
Alexis Sanchez has explicitly told the media that he wants a move away from Arsenal. Even though Arsene Wenger is hopeful that he can convince the Chilean to stay at the Emirates and honour his contract, Alexis is likely to turn down a new deal. Thomas Lemar is an exciting prospect and was very impressive with his showings, especially in the final stages of the Champions League. With the arrival of Lemar, the Gunners can finally heave a sigh of relief and put a lot of their summer woes to rest.
