AS Monaco had a great campaign last term, which saw them not only win the Ligue 1 title but also reach the UEFA Champions League semi-final. One of their star men and the subject of plenty of Premier League interest over the summer was Thomas Lemar. He is, once again, linked with a move to the Premier League, but it isn’t one of the sides who enquired about his availability over the summer.
Chelsea are allegedly hoping to sign the Frenchman in the January transfer window, which is less than three weeks away. However, any deal to secure the services of the 22-year-old will include the exchange of one of their strong younger players, according to the Telegraph.
Michy Batshuayi has struggled for game time since his arrival in West London back in July 2016, despite scoring 16 goals in a team where he has started just 13 matches; a record that has seen him become a great super sub. He is reportedly becoming increasingly frustrated and a move away from Stamford Bridge might be his best option.
It is understood that the former Marseille striker will be used as a makeweight for the potential signing of Lemar, something that may be very beneficial if he expects to make the Belgium squad for the World Cup next summer.
The Blues will be facing competition from Arsenal and Liverpool in January for the signature of Thomas Lemar, two teams who were favourites to sign him throughout the summer transfer window. Antonio Conte’s side have the most to offer a young star in his position as they are competing in the Champions League as well as currently holding the Premier League trophy.
However, they already have plenty of top-quality attackers with Eden Hazard, Willian, Pedro in their ranks, all of which shone in the 3-1 win over Huddersfield. Finding room for Lemar would pose a challenge for Conte but it would be a great investment and would certainly improve the Chelsea squad as a whole.
