Arsene Wenger has denied the suggestion that Liverpool target Thomas Lemar did not want to join Arsenal on deadline day despite the winger deciding to continue at Monaco.
Arsenal chased the Frenchman all summer, but gave up hope of signing the 21-year-old a week before the end of the transfer window, insisting that Monaco would not be selling the player.
Liverpool’s move for Lemar in the final week of the window provided an impetus for Wenger and the Arsenal boss made an aggressive move to sign Lemar on deadline day.
And despite agreeing a £92m fee with Monaco, the deal did not go through as Lemar decided against changing clubs in the final hours of the summer transfer window.
There were suggestions that the Frenchman did not want to join Arsenal but Wenger stressed that was not the case, despite Lemar’s decision to continue at Monaco.
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Asked if it was disappointing to hear that Lemar did not want to join Arsenal, Wenger said in a press conference: “It’s not true.
“He decided to stay at Monaco and he has three years left on his contract so you have to respect that.”
Lemar’s decision to stay at Monaco also forced Arsenal to pull out of an agreement to sell Alexis Sanchez to Manchester City on deadline day.
It was claimed Lemar would have joined Liverpool, but they could not agree a fee with Monaco.
