Atletico Madrid Reserve Number 10 Shirt For Thomas Lemar

If Liverpool were hoping to go back to a previous transfer target to fill the hole left by Nabil Fekir's failed transfer then there's some bad news for them regarding Monaco winger Thomas Lemar.

Two seasons ago Thomas Lemar was one of the best players for Monaco as the French side won Ligue 1 and surprised everyone by reaching the Champions League semi final, thanks in large part because of the emergence of Kylian Mbappe.

That team was broken up last season as Mbappe went to PSG, Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva went to Manchester City and Tiemoué Bakayoko went to Chelsea, all for big money.

In the same summer Lemar was a wanted man. First Liverpool and then Arsenal tried to sign him with the Gunners on the verge of landing the Frenchman on transfer deadline day last August as a City bound Alexis Sanchez replacement.

Of course history worked out a different way with both the Chilean and Lemar staying at their clubs before Sanchez eventually went north for Manchester United.

Now though it looks like Lemar will finally move. According to Spanish radio station Cadena SER, Atletico Madrid have reserved the number 10 shirt for next season for Lemar ahead of a summer move.

Lemar impressing against Manchester City. Image: PA Images

Liverpool could have been expected to go back in for Lemar this summer having missed out on him in the past when Monaco's valuation was seen as too much.

The Reds were hoping to sign fellow Frenchman Nabil Fekir but that deal fell through leaving them to look for another target. Jurgen Klopp's side have already added one Monaco player to their team this summer in Fabinho.

Could Griezmann be staying in Madrid after all? Image: PA Images

The report also said that Antoine Griezmann is set to stay at Atleti to play alongside his France teammate next season, meaning he won't be move to Barcelona as previously expected.

That would be a big blow to Barcelona's transfer plans if it were true with the La Liga champions expecting to add the forward to their array of talents.

Atleti were hoping to sign Alexandre Lacazette last summer but their transfer ban wasn't lifted in time. That meant they kept Griezmann.

If they keep him again this summer and add Lemar it might be the best punishment ever.

Topics: Liverpool, Football News, Atletico Madrid, Thomas Lemar, Arsenal, Transfer news, Spain, France, La Liga

Ryan Sidle

Ryan is a writer for SPORTbible. He covers all sport from football, formula one, cricket, rugby, tennis, athletics, mma and wrestling. He obviously hates YOUR football team and has no interest in synchronised swimming.

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