Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has admitted that keeping Thomas Lemar at the club is a risk after the midfielder’s £92million move to Arsenal collapsed on deadline day.
The France international was Arsenal’s top choice to replace Alexis Sanchez, who seemed set for a £60m switch to Manchester City, but the Gunners were unable to convince Lemar to make the move.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who had seen two bids worth £40m and £50m rejected earlier in the summer, has already confirmed that the Gunners will return for Lemar in the coming months, though if the France international continues his prodigious development they are unlikely to be the only challengers for his signature.
Two years ago Monaco cashed in on Anthony Martial but, having sold Benjamin Mendy, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Bernardo Silva this summer, Vasilyev is adamant that the French champions did not need the money.
However the vice-president conceded that there was a risk that Monaco may not be able to get such a massive offer for the 21-year-old again.
“In 2015 we had to sell in order to meet FFP conditions, so it was more of an obligation,” Vasilyev told L’Equipe. “We are, currently, financially safe and sound. You sell when you think it’s the right time. You’ve got to accept the risk [that the player’s value may go down] and it’s by taking risks that we have got here.
“We are not looking for records. Sales, they are the consequence of having a great season, the league title, a great manager and an excellent recruitment cell and scouting network.
“We don’t want records. We want to maintain a competitive team while respecting our economic model. And today, we’ve managed it.
“My dream has always been to develop the model, in both an economic and sporting sense, as far as possible. I’d said that a few years ago with Forbes magazine; I see that it is a possibility.”
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In addition to selling a trio of first-teamers Monaco also sanctioned a loan move to Paris Saint Germain for 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe on the understanding of a £166m future move.
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Arsenal and Real Madrid had also chased the striker’s signature and Vasilyev admitted he had been reluctant to strengthen a Ligue 1 rival before Mbappe made clear he wanted to return to his hometown.
“We didn’t really want to strengthen Paris,” he said. But when the player explained to us his reasons, we had to respect his wishes.
“When I gathered that he wanted to go to Paris, I was upset for a few days. But that’s life and it is up to him. I fully understood.”