ARSENAL CLOSE TO SECURING A DEAL FOR THOMAS LEMAR

IFUKOR HARRISON AZUBIKE
Arsenal are reportedly close to a deal for AS Monaco winger Thomas Lemar after securing a breakthrough in talks with the Ligue 1 champions.
The Gunners are nearing a transfer set to cost £45 million for the France international, according to Warren Haughton of The Sun : "SunSport revealed earlier this month Lemar has already agreed terms with Arsenal and told the French champions to allow him to move to North London this summer."
Haughton reported how Lemar "will hope to get the green light to complete his switch to the Premier League before they face Paris-Saint Germain in Morocco this Saturday in the Trophee des champions."
Monaco hoped an £80 million asking price would put Arsenal off after two failed bids, per Haughton. Yet the club now thinks it can justify letting Lemar join midfielders Bernardo Silva and Tiemoue Bakayoko, along with left-back Benjamin Mendy, as high-profile exits this summer: "The club feel with such a small fanbase that any backlash from the supporters is something they can handle with minimal fuss."
Monaco have sold a few key players already in this window. Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
Landing Lemar would be a major coup for Arsenal and manager Arsene Wenger. The French manager would get a rising star, who at just 21 already boasts the perceptive movement, pace, technique and eye for goal to thrive in England's Premier League.
Lemar's potential arrival would also give the Gunners cover in the event star player and contract rebel Alexis Sanchez moves on. The free-scoring Chilean continues to be linked with a move to Monaco's domestic rivals Paris Saint-Germain, who are prepared to bid more than £40 million for the attacker whose contract runs out in 2018, according to Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports News.
Wenger has continually said Sanchez won't be sold this summer, per John Cross of the Daily Mirror .
However, Cross also recently told BBC 5 live Sport (h/tBBC.co.uk ) Arsenal may still consider selling Sanchez and signing Lemar would represent a summer of good business.
Some believe signing Lemar would help soften the blow of selling Sanchez. Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
Arsenal fans may not feel the same way if their prolific talisman were allowed to move on, even if a burgeoning talent as gifted as Lemar were to move the other way.
One other player linked with the exit is Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny. The Gunners have reportedly held talks with
Galatasaray sporting director Cenk Ergun about the former Basel ace, per Turkish source
Fotospor (h/t Russell Edge of Football Insider).
Arsenal are said to have been receptive to the idea of selling Elneny, per the reports: "They claim that the Gunners responded positively to the enquiry and are said to be willing to let the 25-year-old depart this summer, having joined two years ago for a reported fee of £11.2 million (€12.5 million)."
Parting ways with Elneny would be a strange move, since the 25-year-old can operate in midfield or at centre-back. He provides useful cover in the middle where the Gunners' options have been stretched by Santi Cazorla 's injury woes.
Arsenal need midfielders like Elneny while Cazorla continues to recover from injury. Paul Gilham/Getty Images
While Elneny is unlikely to supplant Granit Xhaka or Aaron Ramsey in Arsenal's starting XI, he is a neat and efficient passer whom the club should keep. The Gunners want to trim the squad, but they have already considered selling Jack Wilshere, with Turkish side Antalyaspor reportedly in talks for the England international, per James Dale of Sky Sports.
Squad members such as Elneny are still valuable for Arsenal, while Wenger should do all he can to add an attacker as good as Lemar