Atletico Madrid will allow Thomas Lemar to leave on loan this season, with reports hinting at Arsenal interest in the winger.

The Telegraph report that Atletico Madrid are authorising Thomas Lemar to leave on loan this season, and the outlet links Arsenal to the move.

They write that Lemar held talks with one Premier League club, and he’s expecting offers on deadline day. The Telegraph don’t confirm whether that club is Arsenal, but they do name the Gunners as former admirers of the player.

RB Leipzig are out of the race, after signing Justin Kluivert instead. So a Premier League loan is certainly on the cards, and Arsenal have a decent relationship with Atletico after agreeing to loan them Lucas Torreira (whether that deal goes through or not).

Arsenal are regularly linked with Lemar, so it’s not much of a surprise to see their name thrown into the mix again.

The problem is that Lemar’s goal contribution record is so horrible in recent years. His last goal or assist was on 24th April 2019. That’s multiple seasons ago. Even on loan, it’s a gamble filling up a non-homegrown spot with a player struggling so badly.

Lemar still excels in a lot of individual areas. He’s a very good passer, dribbler and presser, so he could still add something to Arsenal. But I get the feeling this is just deadline day gossip.