Arsenal aren’t prepared to give up on their pursuit for Thomas Lemar and latest reports reveal the Gunners could make an improved fourth bid after Monaco rejected their third offer.

In the aftermath of Saturday’s 5-2 win over Benfica, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was asked about how negotiations were going with Monaco for Lemar’s signature.

“We don’t speak about how the negotiations go. We come out once the player is done or not done. I can’t tell you that. But at the moment there is nothing special to say in this case,” he said to Arsenal.com.

Arsenal originally saw their opening offer of £30m knocked back and were unsuccessful with an improved £40m bid last week. The Gunners made a third approach for the Frenchman, reportedly offering £45m a few days ago which was once again turned down by Monaco, meaning Arsenal are going to have to break their club transfer record again this summer to procure his signature.

Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev spoke out about the rumoured deal and gave his belief that Lemar would stay at the Stade Louis II. But Arsenal could be making a fourth bid for the 21-year-old, putting all their eggs into one basket with an offer closer to £50m.

Arsenal appear unopposed to sign the French international, but they can’t agree a fee to tie up the deal. The new season is less than two weeks away and Lemar looks to be the last player Wenger wants to bring in.

He’s coming off the back of an impressive season, scoring and creating 19 goals in 34 Ligue 1 games as Monaco won the title, while scoring and creating six goals in Europe as Monaco reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. It’s easy to see why Arsenal are so desperate to sign him.