L’Equipe are reporting that Thomas Lemar, Arsenal’s main transfer target of this window, wants to move to Arsenal.

Monaco have been pretty firm on their insistence that Lemar would not be sold this summer, but as they continue their major squad overhaul, cracks have started to appear in that stance.

Monaco are close to signing Rachid Ghezzal, a winger who has also been linked with Arsenal previously. Available on a free from Lyon after running down his contract, L’Equipe believe that his arrival could open the door for Arsenal to finally get Lemar.

At the end of their piece on the whole thing, L’Equipe write, “Lemar wants to go to Arsenal and the arrival of Ghezzal in Monaco, if confirmed, could also facilitate his possible departure to England.’

Speaking recently, Monaco manager, Leonardo Jardim, said, “All the players who were important last season are important to keep for the club.

“But it has been shown over the years that it’s not always possible to keep the players, and you know how our project works.

“So our goal is to work well with players who will stay here after the transfer window closes.

“It’s not only about [Mbappe], all the young players who were here last year and had a great season.

“Fabinho, Lemar, Kylian, we’re talking about them joining other clubs, but they stay focused.

“Of course, Fabinho and Lemar are older, they may be a bit more mature, but Kylian, even these last two days, he’s been working well. They know that the most important thing is the pitch.”

Should Arsenal land Lemar, it is believed that they will have to break their transfer fee record again to seal the move. Given the insane transfer fees this summer, any deal that sees Lemar move for less than £55m could possible be considered good business in the world of football.

In the real world, however, it’s still completely insane money for a 21-year-old.