- Liverpool are reportedly moving away from idea of signing Lemar
- Monaco ace’s £90m price-tag may have warded off Reds
- Instead, LFC linked with swoop for Monaco teammate Keita Balde
- READ MORE: Liverpool on verge of agreeing January deal after demands drastically cut
Liverpool are reportedly considering their options away from £90m-rated target and Monaco ace Thomas Lemar, with his teammate Keita Balde on their radar.
As per The Mirror, the £90m price-tag placed on the French international may have forced Liverpool to consider alternatives.
In truth, it’s arguably the sensible move from a Reds perspective too, as although Lemar was pivotal in Monaco’s Ligue 1 success last season and their run to the Champions League semi-finals with 14 goals and 17 assists in 55 appearances, he hasn’t replicated that this year.
Instead, he’s managed just three goals and five assists in 23 outings, which suggests that splashing out £90m on a player who hasn’t proven to be consistent over an extended period could be considered paying over the odds at this stage of his career.
As a result, it’s now claimed that Liverpool could be looking at his teammate Balde, who the Mirror note only joined the French outfit in a £30m deal from Lazio last summer.
Having shown his class with the Serie A side to emerge as one of the top prospects in Europe, he’s followed that up with five goals and nine assists in 24 games this season.
However, with his natural position on the left flank but also with the versatility to play on the opposite side or through the middle, it’s questionable as to whether he’s what Liverpool need.
Having lost Philippe Coutinho this month coupled with the trident of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, a player capable of playing deeper to link things together and create for others is surely what is needed at Anfield.