- Arsenal seem to be leading the race for this £90million transfer
- Arsene Wenger needs a replacement for Alexis Sanchez
- Thomas Lemar has also been linked with Liverpool and others
- READ MORE: Alexis Sanchez ready to make huge sacrifice in order to leave Arsenal for Man City transfer ASAP
Arsenal have reportedly been given fresh hope of sealing the transfer of Monaco winger Thomas Lemar this January and seem to be ahead of their rivals in the race for his signature.
In a latest update from the Daily Mirror, it is claimed that Monaco are now more open to cashing in on Lemar for around £90million, due to the change in their situation from the summer.
BBC Sport reported that the France international was targeted by Arsenal late on in the summer as a replacement for Alexis Sanchez, but that a deal could not be done.
Still, Monaco are no longer in the Champions League and look unlikely to retain their Ligue 1 crown, with the Mirror suggesting this means they may have softened their stance.
The report adds that Arsenal’s interest in Lemar may no longer be entirely dependent on Sanchez either, while Liverpool are expected to wait until the summer to move for the 22-year-old.
MORE: Arsenal transfer news
Meanwhile, speculation from Yahoo Sport linking Lemar with Manchester United has not gone anywhere, similarly to the Telegraph‘s claim that he’s a target for Chelsea.
Lemar could have been an ideal addition for either of those sides due to their respective struggles this season, and Arsenal would certainly do well to beat three of their major rivals to such a top class signing.
Still, it remains a long way from done and it’s not even clear if Arsene Wenger would necessarily pay Monaco’s £90m asking price, which would smash the club’s transfer record, currently at the £46.5m fee paid for Alexandre Lacazette over the summer, as per BBC Sport.