According to Spanish outlet Marca, Arsenal are leading the race to sign winger Thomas Lemar from Atletico Madrid during the January transfer window.
Marca report that Diego Simeone’s side are hoping that they can facilitate the Frenchman’s exit in a bid to lower their wage bill and make room for a stunning swoop for Paris Saint-Germain talisman Edinson Cavani.
The Mirror claim that the Gunners are only likely to explore an initial loan deal – that includes an option to buy – for the 24-year-old.
Lemar joined the Spanish giants 18 months ago for a fee of €60m (equal to £52.7m at the time), as per the Guardian.
Read More: Arsenal midfielder could be on his way to Spain this month
Lemar has made 21 appearances across all competitions for Los Rojiblancos this season, but the former Monaco sensation has failed to register a single goal contribution in these outings.
It’s clear that the winger’s move to the Spanish capital hasn’t gone well and a loan spell could be exactly what Lemar needs to get his career back on track.
In the space of just two years there’s a chance that the star, who was part of France’s World Cup winning squad -won’t even get a seat on Les Blues’ plane for this European Championships.
Perhaps the north London outfit should focus on strengthening a lacklustre defence rather than adding a high-profile attacker to a frontline that are performing well.
I find it difficult to see this more than mere speculation.
It is said that there is no smoke without fire. But this smoke is more like cigarette smoke not likely to produce any flame.
I have seen several links with us and thomas lemar and it’s starting to pick up.
I see lemar as the kind of player we could make our own kdb or david Silva. Although he is a winger he can play in CAM etc.
Some players just do not work well in their managers system. We know he has ability so if we are loaning him in think it’s a decent move. Not so much to pay £60 for him. I would value him at around £30M atm
De Bruyne was a failed winger at Chelsea, but Guardiola successfully changed him into a half-winger for 4-3-3 formation at Man City
I believe Lemar has similar potential, but only if Arteta uses him as the left mezzala in 4-3-3
He is too slow to be a winger and hasn’t produced anything in this season. So unless he comes as a central midfielder, he will be useless for Arsenal
Yes. The Central Midfield role. Box to box. he has a good left foot. Also, we should bid for Thomas Partey
All things said and done, we don’t need Lemar but we do need Matvienko. Like most I’ve had a look at Shaktar Clips, and YouTube stuff, not much else to see. He looks like he would fit in next to Saliba next season. We should get him, then next season Hector, Matvienko, Saliba and and Tierney look a footballing proposition. Then in the summer window we can look for a Santi type player, our genius and a box to box. We are so un creative in the midfield. Worst ever.
Saliba is a towering CB, so a small CB like Matviyenko might work well with him. But we don’t have such CB in this season
David Luiz is pretty tall, but he is not as dominant as Van Dijk in the air. Matviyenko could be a DM or an LB though
Every transfer window this one does the circuit.Lemar will not be coming to Arsenal.
Save the money and buy a proper expensive defender in summer….like Varane. Then play saliba, holding or Marva along him. Saliba my choice. They will learn as well from him n he will bring that much needed stability we all crave. Then go out and buy a good CM. Also jack grealish as Ozil replacement. These three signing will be more then enough to get us back into the group of elites. We can fund this by selling either auba or Laca , xhekha, Ozil, wilock, nelson, luiz, sucrit, eleneny, mustafi.
Moshan, well once you have found the ten clubs needed to buy the players you list and the players themselves agree to said clubs, Grealish would be an excellent suggestion…unless MA wants to offer Ozil a new contract – he seems to think very highly of him at the moment.
I am fairly convinced Ozil will see his contract out, so we would have to sign Grealish without any money from that particular piece of business…what do you think his market valuation is?
Would it be in krokies field of transfer money and salary and would be able to compete withthe likes of chelsea, manure, city and pool, let alone any foreign clubs in that arena?
On reflection, it’s a pipe dream isn’t it?
Hey Ken, ur right. But Arsenal should at Liverpool as an example look how much they spent of VD n look at the return they are getting from it both football wise n finencially. We need to start thinking on those lines…I think it’s time we start looking at quality not quantity. Plus why I said Varane was bec last summer he wanted a new adventure, he probably got bored from winning all the trophies in one country so he wanted a change if MA n Edu can sell our project n convince him to take up this new challenge in life he is possible. About if can’t sell Ozil loan him out, atleast we don’t have to take the whole brunt of his salary…even if some one agrees to pay half his salary on loan that’s a good deal. Buy I think other players I listed can be sold without that much difficulty as they are not really high earners anyways so stumbling block there. Market value might not be what we expect but then their market value will keep going down every year so time to cut the losses. Champions League is crucial for us next season via UEFA cup other wise we will definitely be struggling to sign any decent player.
Frontline performing well?
Ive read countless opinions from
members on this site, as well as
Gunners across the globe that
genuinely believe our collection of
frontline attackers are some of the
best in the EPL and world futbol for
that matter.
If that is in fact the case then why
have the MIGHTY Arsenal only scored
more than 2 goals twice in EPL
fixtures this season? And both those
offensive explosions came against
perennial bottom dwellers Villa and
West Ham. The defense has been
constantly and at times justly
scrutinized for dire performances but
in 24 EPL fixtures this season
Arsenal have failed to score more
than 1 goal 14 times. More than half
off our games this season AFC has
relied on that much criticized and
woefully deficient back line to see
out low scoring contests.
Last I checked the club has spent
over £200M on Top Class offensive
talent over the past three years to
compliment our mercurial German
tailsman, yet Arsenal still
languishes far behind the likes of
City, Pool and even Spuds in
offensive output.
The defence does need to be sorted
out but IMHO Arsenal simply aren’t
scoring enough goals to make a
serious run @ the Top 4
WTS, pass on Lemar unless its a Loan
offer. 😁🤣
No argument from me ACE – I think that all outfield positions have problems – defense, mid and attack. Some see Leno as an issue as well – for me that is the only area we are good.
My focus on the back end is that I think it has been the greatest problem. But maybe it is the middle? And if there is a fix there then the attackers are better able to operate.
The scary thing with how the club is right now is that one fix may show a greater issue elsewhere. We could be quite a while in a rebuild, maybe outside of Europe or at least CL for some years.
On a positive, I really think that with Arteta we have somebody who will get the most out of what we have, will push players and has a system. This will really tell us what we have and don’t have. To this point a lot of our billions of typed words here have been speculation (and maybe they still are :-))
Midfield – it’s very simple. We are light in midfield to create and dominate games to give chances to our forwards to score. Arsenal used to give their attackers 5/6 good chances a game to score, now it is closer to 1/2 clear cut chances. Ramsey would arrive in the box to score, Grioud would lay the ball off for someone to score, Danny Welbeck could score with his head and so could Giroud, Sánchez could cut in and score. Santi, mhiki could all shoot and score. Kość, would come in for hearers and score. Auba and Laca are poor in comparison in the air, Ozil is an assist merchant and rarely shoots, Pepe hasn’t adapted yet and Lacazette isn’t on form.
Laca may not be on form but even so, we don’t dominate the game enough to score more.
The goal floodgates are opening soon, watch this space.
One thing is paramount;, if Arenal are to proceed from being a “Mid Table” Club. Ozil Must be moved on and Lacazette to drop back and play as a “false No, 9” Who is great at holding the ball and either quick turns and Strike or make Clinical Short Passes in to the Box.
Aubameyang/Martinelli to play the No,0 and Thomas Lemar/Martinelli as LW and Pepe/Nelson as LW. This in my view is the Ideal “front 4” “Strike Force”
Arsenal has Xhaka /GuendouziCeballos and Torreira in Midfield. Saka/Tierney as LFB/LWB and Bellerin/AMT as RFB/RWB. CBs are the issue; to partner Saliba, you need a formidable player like Dayot Upamecano/Samuel Umtiti. Clop of Liverpool or Guardiola of Man. City don’t fool around with “fill-ins” Thus if Arsenal have any pretentious of challenging for “Trophies & Top 4” then time to stop prostituting the Squad and the name “The Arsenal”.
If my proposals and advice to Stan Kroenke was heeded back in October 2018, Arsenal would certainly be in “Top 3” of EPL today.
Amazing how Stan Kroenke gets about without a “White Stick” or a “Guide Dog”.
It is a wonderful wish list Raja, and I think that it will remain that way. Nothing wrong with having dreams though. Has Ozil retired injured or gone out on loan because you didn’t mention him? Equally we managed to find a club somewhere that would take on the so called dead wood too which would be fantastic.