It didn't take long for Arsenal fans to see what they were missing out on as Thomas Lemar proved his worth on the pitch late on transfer deadline day.
Arsenal saw a £92million bid accepted by Monaco as Arsene Wenger looked to Lemar as a potential replacement for Alexis Sanchez - who was wanted by Manchester City - but the France star turned down the deal.
Standard Sport understands that the 21-year-old rejected a move to north London due to the fact that Arsenal are not playing Champions League football this season, with the Gunners stuck in the Europa League.
Any deal would have been further complicated by the fact that Lemar was in action for the French national side against Netherlands on Thursday night, though the transfer speculation did nothing to hamper the playmaker's poise on the field.
With France 1-0 up against Netherlands at Stade de France, Lemar made the game safe with a beautifully controlled half-volley from the edge of the penalty area which swerved into the top left-hand corner of the net.
If that wasn't enough, Lemar followed that up with a late tap-in while Kylian Mbappe - who joined Paris Saint-Germain on loan from Monaco - added a late goal to complete the comprehensive 4-0 win.
While Arsenal may have missed out on Lemar, their failed pursuit ensured that Sanchez would not be joining Man City.
Arsenal would only sanction the sale of Sanchez if they could bring in a replacement, while Pep Guardiola's City would not improve their cash offer for the Chile forward to try and push through a deal.
