Arsenal round-up: Lemar deal update; Celtic youngster emerges as a target

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BBC Sport report that Arsenal fear that their chase for Thomas Lemar may end in failure. He has been the club’s priority for a number of weeks as they attempt to strengthen their attacking options ahead of the new season.

The Gunners remain in contact over the player, but Monaco are not likely to be easy sellers as they have already lost a number of key men this summer. The report also features an interesting line on Alexis Sanchez, stating that the club intends to keep the Chilean this summer.

Monaco were likely to put an end to the outgoings at some point and it looks like Lemar won’t be allowed to move to North London. That said, there remains a chance that an agreement could be found, especially if the midfielder pushes for a move.

If the club do feel that a move is unlikely, they need to move on to other targets, as they must maintain the positive momentum that they have built up during the summer. For supporters, the line about Sanchez will keep them feeling positive and it is important that the club delivers on that promise.

Arsenal do look to be focusing on attacking recruits this summer and the Express report that Moussa Dembele is emerging as a target if Sanchez does leave the club. The 20-year-old has been identified as one of the best talents in Europe after scoring 32 goals for Celtic last season.

The Scottish champions have valued him at £30 million, but they could demand more in wake of the increasing transfer fees in England especially. The Frenchman has three years left on his contract and there will be no pressure on the Bhoys to sell.

Although Dembele may not look to be a sufficient replacement for Sanchez at this stage of his career, he could develop to be Champions League calibre in the future. He has huge potential and he has ripped up the Scottish league in the 12 months he has been with Celtic.

There will be critics of the strength of the division, but he has emerged as a key man for a big European club and showed consistency during his time at Parkhead. There will be a lot of clubs in Europe following his development and it could be a coup for the Gunners if they were the ones to land him.