One of the most intriguing pieces of business that did not take place in the summer was a move for Thomas Lemar of Monaco. The French 21-year-old was subject to a tug of war between Liverpool and Arsenal but ultimately time ran out and both sides were left with a feeling of discontent.

The Premier League pair recently stated that they would be looking to revisit the deal in January as Lemar goes from strength to strength but Monaco’s vice president Vadim Vasilyev will have a big say on where the talented attacker goes.

It is being reported by the Liverpool Echo that the move was actually blocked by Vasilyev despite a fee being agreed with Arsenal. That amount is quoted to be £92million but Vasilyev claims Monaco broke off negotiations with both the Premier League clubs.

Jurgen Klopp and the team were ready to part with £75million but that was not enough to seal the deal and now, Vasilyev claims that Lemar was willing to move to either side in the summer.

There were reports that Lemar had actually rejected a move to Arsenal as he preferred playing under Klopp but one single quote seems to have destroyed that fact.

“It was not easy,” Vasilyev said, as quoted by Liverpool Echo. “Thomas wanted to go to Arsenal and to Liverpool, but we had discussions and we took a communal decision so that he could stay here.

“He is a very important player for us. We could not have sold him, it would have affected the entire team and the individuals.”

A Shopping Spree At Monaco

Moving for Lemar on the final day of the window was always going to be a tough one. The Ligue1 side had already lost a number of big name players, with Kylian Mbappe being the latest one, and only a crazy deal would have prized Lemar away from the team.

Vasilyev might be right in not wanting to sell Lemar but him claiming that the player wanted to move to both sides seems a bit odd given that conflicting reports stated that the player broke off the negotiations with the Gunners.

What seems certain is that the Frenchman will be the next player to leave Monaco and it probably will be in January. We should be the ones leading the race for his signature as we would need more fire power in our team if any key departures happen.

Lemar should also be wary that the Gunners are in a bit of a decline, while we are going from strength to strength. Ambition is key for us in this phase of Klopp’s reign and making signings like Lemar is the best way forward as we look to win some trophies under the German.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it6u0nhRaA4