Arsenal: Something isn’t right with Thomas Lemar deal

Arsenal’s continued pursuit of Thomas Lemar is starting to get a bit fishy. Something doesn’t seem right given the conflicting reports.

Arsenal wasted little time in wrapping up Sead Kolasinac and Alexandre Lacazette. It’s been Thomas Lemar that has been giving them fits. Or at least, that’s what it feels like, because what we actually know about the Lemar pursuit is very little.

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Arsene Wenger admitted that he was interested in the French creator, but beyond that, he said it was speculation.

Which is why I think things are a bit fishy. So many reports out there claimed that Wenger was submitting increasing bids for the young Frenchman. Normally such reports mean little to nothing, but given how many of them there were, it’s hard not to put some belief in them.

Yet it’s gotten to the point where those same reports are indicating that Monaco still refuses to sell and that Lemar is even trying to force a move, as he is desperate to get out. Which coincides with the earlier notion that Monaco were stopping all sales following the loss of Bernardo Silva to Manchester City.

But what does not fit that narrative is the subsequent moves of Tiemoue Bakayoko to Chelsea and the impending move of Benjamin Mendy to either Manchester City or, again, Chelsea.

And yet Arsenal can’t strike a deal for Lemar and Monaco are shutting up shop? Similar reports are circulating about Fabinho after Manchester United were in on him, with the deal now reportedly off, but what makes them any more important than Mendy or Bakayoko, both of whom played dominant first team roles with the Ligue 1 champions?

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These narratives just don’t fit together. Unless Monaco have roped off certain players while allowing others to leave, but that doesn’t seem likely either. They say they focus on bringing young players into their first team, but then why was Bakayoko (and presumably Mendy to come) so easily parted with when he is just as young as Lemar.

Then there is Tribal Football, who are claiming that the deal is already done with Monaco and that the French club has simply requested that the Gunners not announce the move until the preseason tour is over and Monaco have a chance to find a replacement.

There are a ton of conflicting narratives here that are not allowing us a clear indication of what is going on. Normally, like with Lacazette, it’s pretty clear what is happening and where everything is headed.

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Nothing could be further from the truth with Thomas Lemar. All we can do is wait.