Monaco man Thomas Lemar made some remarks that will certainly put both Arsenal and Liverpool on red alert. The 22-year-old attacking midfielder has seen a couple potential transfer deals fall short of getting closed, and thus he’s been forced to remain with the reigning Ligue 1 champions this year.
First a prospective move to Arsenal last summer fell apart. Then in January Liverpool finally sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona, with Lemar being possibly lined up as the replacement. That fell apart as well, and when quizzed about his future this week, while on international duty with France, Thomas Lemar was not shy about his intentions.
“Regrets? Maybe. I was a little disappointed,” he told Telefoot. “Once it’s over, it’s over, so do not think about it.”
“I will keep working hard so these clubs will eventually come back in the next transfer window. I am open to all offers. I am a football player, I like football. I do not close any door.”
The “I am open to all offers” is the key sentence there. It’s certainly an invitation to both Liverpool and Arsenal to make another pursuit. Of course, there are other big clubs who have keeping tabs on him, including Manchester City and both Madrid clubs. Clearly, Thomas Lemar already has his mind on leaving at the end of the season, so the window should certainly be an interesting one. With Arsenal, the Lemar deal was inextricably linked with the attempted transfer of Alexis Sanchez to Manchester City.
When the Sanchez deal didn’t come to fruition, neither did the Lemar move. Now that the Chilean has left Arsenal for Manchester United, perhaps the Gunners will have more favorable prospects come summer time.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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