Barcelona step up efforts to sign Arsenal target Thomas Lemar

Arsenal have been in talks to sign Thomas Lemar for weeks but have been met by a defiant Monaco who are not keen to sell.

The Ligue 1 champions have knocked back the Gunners' initial £30million bid after having their team decimated by Premier League clubs this summer.

Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy have both been snapped up by Manchester City, while Tiemoue Bakayoko has joined Chelsea.

However, despite Monaco's hardline approach over Lemar, it has not stopped Barcelona also entering the fray for the France international.

Sky Sports claim the La Liga side are very much in the running for the 21-year-old and see him as a potential replacement for Neymar.

Barca are in desperate need of a marquee signing following the Brazilian's £200m departure to Paris Saint-Germain last week.

Lemar is one option for the Catalans, with Borussia Dortmund's Ousmane Dembele and Liverpools Philippe Coutinho their other targets.

Despite Monaco taking a hardline approach over Lemar, manager Leonardo Jardim admitted last week he could not rule out selling the star.

"All the players who were important last season are important to keep for the club,” Jardim said.

"But it has been shown over the years that it's not always possible to keep the players, and you know how our project works.

"So our goal is to work well with players who will stay here after the transfer window closes."

Lemar was a key player for Monaco last season, scoring 14 goals and providing 17 assists in all competitions.

His current deal runs until June 2020.