Arsenal have reportedly agreed personal terms with AS Monaco playmaker Thomas Lemar, who is also being linked to Tottenham among several others.
According to The Sun, Arsenal have moved closer to snapping up AS Monaco playmaker Thomas Lemar. The Gunners have agreed personal terms with the player and despite their initial bid being rejected by the club, Arsene Wenger & co. are confident of landing the highly-rated Frenchman.
Thomas Lemar is a player who has risen rapidly to become one of the hottest properties in Europe. Arriving at Monaco in the summer of 2015, the left winger became an integral part of the first-team setup in an instant.
And, Monaco’s wonder run this season – Ligue 1 triumph and semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League – has seen Lemar shine throughout the campaign as one of the main support players to Kylian Mbappe and Radamel Falcao.
14 goals and 17 assists are commendable numbers as the player showed his stamina and fitness, with a mammoth 55 games played in the entire 2016-17 season. And his displays have brought forth interest from the likes of Juventus, Tottenham and Arsenal among other clubs as well.
Arsenal’s interest in Lemar stems from the speculation surrounding Alexis Sanchez’s future as the Chilean’s exit almost looks inevitable this summer, with Manchester City poised to land the former Barcelona man. At 21 though, Lemar can be much more than just a replacement for Alexis Sanchez.
Thomas Lemar to Arsenal:
LEMAR has agreed personal terms on a move to Arsenal.Lemar’s representatives have given the green light #AFC pic.twitter.com/WWslxINf8P
— Arsenal FC Transfer (@Sakib786123) July 7, 2017
The Frenchman can be one of the main pillars the whole squad is built around in the future if the Gunners are able to land him, given the ability that he possesses. Arsenal have already signed Alexandre Lacazette and Lemar’s arrival can see the duo combine to mitigate the potential loss of goals and assists that the club face if Alexis does leave.
Tottenham on the other hand, have a more complete squad. However, the left wing is perhaps the only position where one can pinpoint a lack of quality and depth at the present moment. Moussa Sissoko has failed to impress and an addition in the said position is inevitable.
Arsenal and Tottenham are both vying for Mahrez as well and it looks like the clubs are going to get one of Mahrez and Lemar – the team that misses out on one is likely to get the other. And it seems Arsenal may well have stolen a march on their local rivals.
Pretty obvious that Mahrez is plan B for Thomas Lemar. If Arsenal are serious about Mahrez, I think it won’t be a difficult deal to make.
— Osman (@OsmanZtheGooner) July 5, 2017
The Gunners are now well poised to land Lemar after agreeing personal terms with the player. They had their initial bid rejected and a subsequent bid of £40 million is expected to be turned down as well. But, Arsene Wenger & co. are confident a deal can be done and Lemar looks to be heading to Emirates at the present moment.
The transfer market though, is full of surprises and we could yet see Tottenham or some other club come in and beat Arsenal to the 21-year-old. For now though, the club looks well on their way for another quality signing this summer.
