Monaco adamant Thomas Lemar will not be sold to Arsenal - even for £45m

Thomas Lemar
Monaco are refusing to sell Thomas Lemar (right) Credit: AFP

Monaco remain adamant that Thomas Lemar will not be sold even amid a third bid from Arsenal for around £45 million.

The French champions have made a series of player sales this summer but the plan has been to keep Lemar, who is also seen as important in their attempts to persuade Kylian Mbappe to extend his contract amid Real Madrid’s willingness to break the world transfer record.

Arsenal believe that the 18-year-old Mbappe, who has become the most sought-after player in world football, will stay but have still not given up on Lemar.

Although manager Arsene Wenger is adamant that the pursuit of Lemar is not linked to Alexis Sanchez’s future, he could fill the creative role down the left that Sanchez has largely filled over the past three years. Manchester City and Paris St Germain both want Sanchez while Arsenal are still considering a bid for Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez if they cannot sign Lemar.

Sanchez is out of contract next year and, although Wenger is adamant that he will stay, there has been a breakdown in contract negotiations. The 28-year-old is due to begin pre-season training on Sunday but wrote on social media that he is currently “sick”.

Arsenal are still awaiting further updates from Sanchez on whether he will indeed report as planned on Sunday.

Enfermo 😢🌡💉🤒🤧 sick 🤒🤒🤒🤒🤒

A post shared by Alexis Sanchez (@alexis_officia1) on

Medical examinations also continue in respect of Santi Cazorla, who has been out since last year but remains determined to vindicate Arsenal’s decision to extend his contact by a season.

Cazorla, who is 32, still believes that he can return from his acute Achilles tendon problems. “I don't know how long it will take, but I'm convinced that I'll be back soon,” he said.

“Each time I leave the operating theatre, I think that everything will be fine and I'll be back again. The doctors have told me that a case like mine is one that they probably won't see again for a long time as it is unusual for an athlete.

“Every day my son asks me if I will play again because he really wants to see me out on the pitch again and I really hope that it will happen soon.”

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