Arsenal are reportedly confident that they can secure the signing of Monaco winger Thomas Lemar in a deal worth £92m next year.
The 21-year-old was heavily linked with a move to the Emirates on deadline day, but the transfer failed to materialise with various reports suggesting that he had turned down a late move to join the Gunners.
While that was a huge blow for Arsenal, it’s claimed by The Daily Star that they’re confident that it was a temporary setback and that a deal can be done for the French international next year.
It’s added that an agreement in principle exists between the two clubs which will see Arsenal splash out the £92m that they were rumoured to be willing to spend last month, while Lemar would sign a five-year contract worth around £250,000-a-week.
Further, it’s claimed that the deal wouldn’t depend on selling Alexis Sanchez in January, although that will all naturally depend on whether or not the forward signs a new deal with Arsenal as his current contract expires next summer.
In turn, if the club are unable to convince him to pen a new agreement, then they would surely have to start considering offers for the Chilean international in a cut-price January deal rather than lose him for nothing six months later, and possibly to a direct rival in Manchester City, as per the report.
This theory of course goes against the suggestion that Lemar rejected a move to Arsenal on deadline day, with Liverpool also linked with a late swoop. If true and he is open to the idea of moving to north London next year, then it looks as though Arsenal remain on course to blow their club transfer record out the water with this £92m signing.