According to reports in France, Arsenal have been offered a chance to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Lemar in the ongoing transfer window. The Gunners had previously expressed interest in signing the Frenchman, but have reportedly rejected a move this summer.
The French international only had a year left on his contract with Los Rojiblancos. His growing inconsistency in La Liga left Atletico Madrid with no other option but to transfer-list their attacking midfielder for a move in the summer. The midfielder’s disappointing performances in the Spanish capital have seen him being linked with a move away from the Wanda Metropolitano stadium.
The Gunners have been repeatedly linked with the 26-year-old star in recent years. Fellow Premier League side Everton were also reportedly interested in signing the French midfielder. However, it now seems that the player is set to remain in Spain.
According to French news outlet L’Equipe (via The Sun), Atletico Madrid had offered Thomas Lemar to Premier League clubs Arsenal and Everton. However, the Gunners have turned down the chance to sign the Frenchman. Similarly, the Toffees manager Frank Lampard has also snubbed the possibility of signing the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner.
The report claims that the La Liga side have failed in their attempts to attract any club to sign their winger. This means the 26-year-old will most likely be accepting a new contract at the Wanda Metropolitano. Bringing limited impact to Simeone’s side, the player has agreed on a 50 per cent pay cut on his huge salary, which is claimed to be around £155k-a-week before the wage reduction.
Atletico Madrid have paperworks almost ready for Nahuel Molina deal with Udinese, while two contract extensions are now completed: both Jan Oblak and Thomas Lemar will sign new deal with Atleti. ⚪️🔴🤝 #Atleti
Molina will be unveiled as new signing in the next days.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 22, 2022
Thomas Lemar is among the few players who were put on the transfer list by Atletico Madrid this summer, especially given the fact that the club were already desperate to offload him. The representatives of Thomas Lemar were in search for a new home with Arsenal and Everton being potential destinations. However, neither of the clubs are willing or interested in signing him.
In 2018, the Gunners saw an opening for a probable Emirates switch for the former AS Monaco ace. But the move went cold and the player subsequently joined the Los Colchoneros. The reported transfer fee was over £64 million. However, the winger has not made quite the desired impact ever since joining Diego Simeone’s side.
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Lemar’s poor form has seen him fall out of favour under Diego Simeone’s stewardship. The French midfielder concluded the 2021-22 season with only four goals and six assists in 34 appearances (stats via Transfermarkt) across all competitions. Moreover, he has managed to score just nine goals in a total of 143 appearances (stats via Transfermarkt) for the Spanish side.
Although he played a key role in Atletico’s La Liga 2020/21 triumph, Lemar has otherwise had a disappointing spell with the Rojiblancos, which has forced him to consider his long-term future. But as things stand, there are no offers on the table. So, it is rather difficult to reckon if Lemar will look for an alternate career route or consider signing the four-year deal offered by Atletico Madrid.
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