AS Monaco’s Thomas Lemar has pin-pointed Manchester United as his preferred destination over Arsenal as the transfer window enters its final stages, according to Duncan Castles.
The 21-year-old winger arrived at Monaco from Caen as a teenager back in 2015 and enjoyed his finest season yet last year under Leonardo Jardim, making 55 appearances and claiming 15 goals – including one against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League. He can feature on either flank and has started to show a level of ability going forward that simply dwarfs most of Ligue 1.
Arsenal have pursued the Frenchman, valued at £45m, for some time this summer but doubt looms over whether Monaco would consider letting any further big names leave before the window shuts after already losing Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva and Tiemoue Bakayoko to the Premier League this summer. Vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has stated publicly that nobody else – especially Fabinho, who was strongly linked with an Old Trafford move earlier in the summer – would depart before the window shuts, but various reports have claimed that, over the last week, Monaco’s position on Lemar leaving has relaxed.
And according to Castles, the Frenchman has identified United as his primary option over Arsenal if he does indeed decide to leave the principality over the next week.
