Barcelona set to rival Arsenal for Thomas Lemar with Liverpool also interested in Monaco star
Gunners failed with a £90million bid for the French midfielder on deadline day and now face competition for his signature next year
ARSENAL are reportedly set to renew their chase of Thomas Lemar next summer — but face stiff competition from Barcelona and Liverpool.
The Gunners failed with a club-record £90million bid for the Monaco star on deadline day which scuppered Alexis Sanchez's £60m Manchester City switch.
The Mirror are reporting that Arsene Wenger is ready to go back in for Lemar, 21, next year as he is still their top transfer target.
But Barcelona are still showing an interest and still have funds from their £198m sale of Neymar to help pay for a bid.
Liverpool are also said to be tracking Lemar who knows he can command huge wage demands of around £250,000-a-week.
The Gunners will be desperate to beat their two rivals to the former Caen midfielder if Sanchez jumps ship to City in January or when his deal runs out in July.
Contract talks between Arsenal chiefs and the Chilean are ongoing but he looks set to be reunited with Pep Guardiola in the new year.
Mesut Ozil is also out of contract next season despite being offered £275,000-a-week to pen fresh terms — with a move to Manchester United reportedly on the cards.
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And that will make Wenger even more determined to sign Lemar and fill the void the pair could leave in attack.
Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis claimed the club had decided to keep Ozil and Sanchez to give themselves the best chance of short term success.
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He said: “The decisions on Alexis and Mesut Ozil are certainly not decisions that fit the narrative that we put money first.
“We have taken that approach to give the club the best possible chance to compete for trophies this season."
“Strong inflation again in the transfer market has had a correlating effect on players’ salary demands.
"Many clubs are facing challenges in their contract renewal discussions. That's a challenge that we have to and we will rise to."
