Liverpool and Arsenal have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of AS Monaco winger Thomas Lemar, with reports suggesting the player wants to move to Spain.
He was linked with a big money move to Arsenal during the summer , with the Gunners having a British record £92m bid accepted on transfer deadline day. The Frenchman rejected the move to the Emirates though after not wanting to be rushed into making such a big decision regarding his long term future.
That decision saw him stay with Ligue 1 champions Monaco, although he has been unable to replicate the fine goalscoring and creative form of last season that earned him so many admirers.
The 22-year-old has scored just two goals and provided five assists in his 16 Ligue 1 appearances this season.
He has however been linked with making a move to Liverpool, who view the midfielder as a potential move replacement for Philippe Coutinho, who made a £142m move to Barcelona earlier this month.
However, in news that will serve as a disappointment for both Premier League clubs, the Daily Star are reporting that the winger has made Monaco aware of his desire to move to Spain, with Barcelona his preferred destination.
However, with Barcelona committing well over £250m to sign Coutinho from Liverpool and Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund, it is unlikely that they will want to commit to a further £92m for Lemar.