Arsene Wenger was famed for his ability to either find a bargain or bring young players through at Arsenal, a manager who didn’t need to spend big in the transfer market.
Wenger did spend at Arsenal, but during the club’s transition from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium, the Frenchman was somewhat hamstrung when it came to signing players.
The Arsenal manager needed to be creative more often than not, explaining why the club suddenly considered a top four finish as a big success.
That being said, in 2017, Wenger was reportedly willing to smash the club’s transfer record when he identified Monaco’s Thomas Lemar as a potentially transformational signing for the club.
Arsene Wenger was willing to smash Arsenal’s transfer record to sign Thomas Lemar
Arsenal reportedly had a £92m offer accepted by Monaco for Lemar, a deal which Wenger was pushing.
However, the offer came right at the end of the summer transfer window and could not be completed in time.
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In addition, Lemar, who was 21-years-old at the time, was said to be more interested in joining Liverpool were he to leave Monaco.
Liverpool had a £65m bid rejected for Lemar whose reputation soared after Monaco won the 2016/17 Ligue 1 title.
The French midfielder ended up staying at Monaco for one more year before he then made a big money move to Spanish side Atletico Madrid, where he still resides today.
Now 29, Lemar has amassed 180 appearances for Atleti, but never truly fulfilled the potential that Wenger saw.
For context, Wenger’s most expensive deal at Arsenal was the £60m the club paid for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang six months after that Lemar offer, perhaps proving that those funds were available.
Atletico Madrid now desperate to get rid of Thomas Lemar
As mentioned, things haven’t quite worked out as expected for Lemar at Atleti, a midfielder who hasn’t added to his 27 caps for France since 2021.
Now, according to Esto Es Atleti, the Spanish club are trying to move Lemar on, whose consistent injuries have become an issue.
Atleti have recognised that they are unlikely to recoup anywhere near what they paid for Lemar, and they’re even willing to let the midfielder leave on loan.
In addition, the Spanish giants are happy to cover part of Lemar’s wage packet.
It’s hard not to imagine how different things could have been were Arsenal able to sign the Frenchman all the way back in 2017.
Lemar was held in the same breath as all of the top talents Monaco sold around that time, the likes of Bernando Silva and Kylian Mbappe and Fabinho.
A massive talent who never quite found the right fit after leaving Monaco, and a player who Wenger was never able to work with.
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