Report: Liverpool submits 2nd bid worth €70M for Thomas Lemar
Liverpool has tabled a second offer worth €70 million (£64.6 million) for Thomas Lemar as Thursday's transfer window deadline draws nearer, The Telegraph's Jason Burt understands.
The Reds originally submitted an inquiry earlier this summer regarding purchasing the Monaco winger for €60 million, which was rejected. Burt believes Liverpool's pursuit is unrelated to Barcelona's continued efforts to land Philippe Coutinho.
Lemar has apparently attracted interest from Liverpool's Premier League rivals Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur, in addition to Spanish behemoth Barcelona.
Not only is there plenty of competition for Lemar's signature, there is additionally a reluctance from Monaco to sell the winger. The principality club paid around €4 million to sign Lemar from SM Caen in 2015, but is aware of how much his asking price could rise should he enjoy another successful season in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. Monaco is also weakened after a summer which saw Bernardo Silva, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Benjamin Mendy, and Valere Germain all leave the club.
Thomas Lemar for Monaco in 2016/17:
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) August 7, 2017
Most forward passes in final-third (231)
Most crosses (224)
Most chances created (72)
Most assists (10) pic.twitter.com/008EJScXqq
If there's any indication that Monaco's resolve could be tested, however, Chelsea is expected to lodge a counter-offer which could see Lemar's valuation rise exponentially.
Where Lemar - a versatile operator adept in all attacking positions - would fit into Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool plans is a mystery. The Reds' front-three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, and Mohamed Salah were devastating in Sunday's 4-0 demolition of Arsenal, and Dominic Solanke, Daniel Sturridge, the sidelined Adam Lallana, youngster Ben Woodburn, and Divock Origi can all challenge for those slots. It appears likely that the reported sale of Origi would go through to free up space for Lemar in Klopp's squad.
Chelsea, meanwhile, is apparently considering deploying him as a wing-back, putting him in immediate competition with Marcos Alonso, Victor Moses, and backup option Cesar Azpilicueta.
Lemar is already at the French national team camp ahead of visits from the Netherlands and Luxembourg in the latest slate of World Cup qualifiers.