Respected journalist David Ornstein has claimed that Thomas Lemar was keen on a switch to Arsenal, but the club took too long to agree a deal with Monaco. The France international was lined up as the man to improve our attacking options this summer, having already brought Alexandre Lacazette to the club from Lyon.
Lemar was linked with our club throughout the summer, and it was widely reported that the 21 year-old wanted the switch to the Emirates, and that has just been confirmed by Ornstein.
He said; “The messages I was getting was that the interest in Lemar was absolutely concrete.
“They were hoping to make him their next signing [after Lacazette], but it wasn’t close at that point.
“Monaco weren’t interested in selling.
“Although, he had given indications, as I understand it, to Arsenal that he was prepared to join at that point.
“Lemar visiting the training ground? I know nothing of that.
“I’m not saying it’s not true but it’s certainly not been told to me by anybody.
“I have seen those reports and I fully respect them but I just can’t verify them myself.
“But what I have been told, reliably by a number of people, is that he had told Arsene Wenger that he wanted to, and was prepared to, join at that time.”
Of course we only managed to agree a fee with Monaco going deep into deadline day following a £60 Million offer from Manchester City for Alexis Sanchez, but by then it was just too late, and the rest, as they say, is history!
Pat J