Arsenal chances of signing Thomas Lemar have received a blow as Monaco demand £80m.

• Arsenal had a bid of £31m rejected by Monaco
• Lemar is one of Arsenal’s main targets
• They could look to Riyad Mahrez if compromise can’t be reached

For a while, it seemed Monaco were ready to let all of their star players go if the price was right. Thomas Lemar was one such player and Arsenal believed a £31m bid would be a good starting point in the negotiations.

While Monaco rejected it, Arsenal were still hopeful of a deal. But those hopes may have dashed as the Mirror have revealed Monaco are demanding £80m for the winger.

It seems now the Ligue 1 champions are determined not to let any more of their best players leave unless it’s for crazy money. While Arsenal are spending £52m on Alexandre Lacazette, £80m for Lemar would definitely be a step too far.

Even a reduced price deal at this stage would result in the Gunners breaking their transfer record again. If this is true, it’s likely that Arsenal will not pursuit their backup target, believed to be Riyad Mahrez.