Liverpool are reportedly monitoring the progress of Thomas Lemar.
According to French publication L’Equipe, Thomas Lemar has refused to sign a new contract with Monaco – news that will be greeted with much optimism on Merseyside.
According to Yahoo Sport, Liverpool have an agreement in place with Lemar himself, but refuse to match Monaco’s €100 million (£88.7 million) valuation.
The 22-year-old’s contract with Monaco is due to expire in 2020, and according to L’Equipe, he only earns £22,000 per week.
The French club might just be forced to sell Lemar, if he fails to commit to a new deal, rather than allow his contract to run on into the last two years.
Liverpool would surely then be able to sign the France international for less than his £88.7 million release clause.
Is Lemar good enough to replace Philippe Coutinho?
The 22-year-old is an elite performer already, despite his tender years.
In his last 78 appearances for Monaco he has scored 17 goals and chalked up 22 assists, but it is his overall influence on the manner in which his team play that is the most impressive part of his game.
He has the wonderful ability to glide past defenders with the ball seemingly stuck to his feet, much like the recently departed Coutinho, and he would certainly add an added level of potency to Liverpool’s attacking play.
Liverpool are heavily armed with cash, and they should not hesitate to test the Ligue 1 outfit’s resolve by making a move for the talented playmaker in the summer, because even for £88.7 million, it could turn out to be money well spent.
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