Arsenal: Liverpool not the real threat to Thomas Lemar move

Liverpool are reportedly growing in their interest of Thomas Lemar with Philippe Coutinho flirting with a Barcelona exit. They are not the main threat to Arsenal’s chances of signing the winger. That title belongs to his owners, Monaco.

Every summer, there is a long-running, misery-dragging transfer ‘saga’ that hangs over Arsenal and their potential recruitment. With rumour and counter-rumour, mysterious agent comments, odd airport sightings, an ever-aloof and withdrawn Arsene Wenger, clarity rarely comes to the mere observer. Was Karim Benzema ever actually a realistic prospect?

It is these sagas that make the summer transfer window so dramatic and so draining at the same time, so enthralling and so exhausting, so intriguing and so insipid. We become hooked on a storyline, only for it to take on us a dreary, long-winding journey through hope, despair, finally ending with an undoubted anti-climax.

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This summer’s journey is inspired by Thomas Lemar. The Monaco winger, who burst onto the scene last season with 14 goals and 14 assists in all competitions, has been heralded as one of Europe’s bright stars. At only 21 years of age, he was a key component in Monaco’s vibrant attacking team that would proceed to win Ligue 1, knock Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund out of the Champions League and challenge the French superiority of Paris Saint-Germain.

As a result, he has garnered much attention from across the continent, most notably from Wenger, who wants to return to his French roots as he strives to find reinvigorate the early success that he enjoyed in North London.

Success in pursuing Lemar, though, has been hard to come by. Three rejected offers, multiple up-turned noses and a frustrating lack of progress, despite Lemar reportedly revealing that he would like to make the move, have seen Arsenal stranded.

And now they face competition. Liverpool, who are worried about the prospect of Philippe Coutinho leaving with Barcelona sniffing around, reportedly see Lemar as the perfect replacement for their long-range-dead-eyed Brazilian.

While competition never makes completing a deal easier, to think Jurgen Klopp is the biggest threat to Arsenal’s chances of signing Lemar would fly in the face of this summer’s narrative. Securing the services of Lemar is an extremely challenging and unlikely venture not because of the competition, but because of the confidence that Monaco have in not selling.

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Simply put, they do not want to sell. And they have made that quite clear. If Arsenal are intent on trying to sing Lemar, Liverpool is not the hurdle they must overcome; Monaco is, and right now, it is a hurdle that looks insurmountable.

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