Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has admitted that Thomas Lemar had been hoping to move to either Arsenal or Liverpool this summer.
After helping Monaco win the Ligue 1 and reach the Champions League semi-finals last season, Lemar has become an in-demand player and attracted interest from the two Premier League giants during the summer.
Vasilyev has now admitted that the youngster had hoped to move to England and said, “It was not easy. Thomas wanted to go to Arsenal and to Liverpool, but we had discussions and we took a communal decision so that he could stay here.
“He is a very important player for us. We could not have sold him; it would have affected the entire team and the individuals.”
The words of Vasilyev contradict what Gunners manager Arsene Wenger had said about the Lemar transfer. Wenger had claimed that the 21-year-old Lemar had turned down a €100 million opportunity to join his club.
Nonetheless, it now looks likely that Lemar may end up leaving Monaco next summer provided he continues his good form and a host of clubs will surely be interested.
