Thomas Lemar

Rumour Mill
#121

I don’t understand this underrated/flies under the radar talk, I barely even follow other leagues and even I know how highly Dembele is thought of. He’s one of the most prominent young but already performing players in world football isn’t he?!

With regards to Lemar, I still feel like he could be got at if an attractive enough bid is made. The usual modus operandi for football clubs is to say players aren’t for sale after all, and it often turns out not to be true.

Or is that just when we say it? :sweat_smile:

3 Likes
#122

Yeh I think Dembele was under the radar when BVB snatched him up for a steal, pretty sure when Barca are sniffing round him for a ridiculous fee he’s no longer really underrated.

#123

TBF Chelsea agreed that one back in February before Mbappe had hardly made his debut.

From Monaco’s perspective why sell Lemar now when he’ll probably improve and be worth more?

Mbappe maybe sold if the money is right because his stock likely drops a little next year with more playing time against better teams (he played against allot of dross this year)

And from Arsenal’s perspective do you really want to spend 70m on a 1 season wonder who could turn out to be Chamberlain? I mean I think he’ll be far better than that but he’s young and not consistently proven.

#124

I don’t think he was underrated then, he was the stand out young player in ligue 1 by far and obviously a worldy in the making.

1 Like
#125

Agreed. That’s what I mean, he’s been rated and wanted for ages now.

#126

Also the fact that their are so many average dembeles out there plays a part in not paying attention to dormunds dembele

#127

When I first said flying under the radar it was simply a comparison to Mbappe stealing all the headlines from last season until now.

Jheeze :joy:

1 Like
#128

The price BVB got him for is testament to the fact that he must have been flying under a few clubs radars at the time for them to not kick up a massive bidding war the way Mbappe has now.

I remember quite a few on here mentioning they were gutted when BVB signed him without much resistance, perhaps not underrated but certainly underappreciated in terms of value for money.

#129

Wasn’t too long ago when we did the double sucker punch on tottenham by buying Ozil and arming Real Madrid with the funds to get Bale.

Looks like the shoe could be on the other foot now re: Chelsea and Bakayoko. Don’t understand why we’re so slow all the time with the difficult transfers that actually matter, looks like I was wrong about Monaco not having a breaking point and that Man City / Chelsea have just plundered the treasure chest before it shuts

#130

Really? I feel like every other season a new dembele pops up and turns out to be a great player tbh.

Tottenhams Dembele for example is a brilliant midfielder.

#131

That’s why Man City, Chelsea and Man U are considered ambitious and we’re not.
Because we are slow we miss out on the best players and our rivals can help themselves knowing we won’t dare put up any fight to get a player.

I think a lot of top players have realised that we lack any ambition, that’s why they either leave or don’t consider us an attractive option, if we show an interest in them.

#132

I think you are getting a bit hasty. All Monaco are doing is shitting the bed and trying to deter further poaching.

If anything it is just as likely a case of driving the price up.

1 Like
#133

Possibly, and I don’t blame them.
But if Wenger has identified these players as his main targets and they are the players he really wants, then he might have to pay over what he considers his valuation to get them.

All the selling clubs know we have plenty of money and that Wenger is under pressure to deliver at least two top quality players, so they are doing what anyone in business would do, which is drive up the price accordingly.

We’ll have to see if he has the ambition to pay what is necessary to get them, that is of course if he can persuade them to come here.

#134

There’s also his little bro that plays for Fulham, the Celtic strikers and at least 3 or 4 more scattered around round Europe

Took me a while to realise people weren’t talking about the Celtic dembele when referring to dembele the wonder kid

2 Likes
#135

So Laca and Mahrez. Wouldn’t be that bad in the end. Both are better than most of our players bar Sanchez and Ozil.

#136

Think there was a release clause or something in his contract. Barce wanted him, Bayern wanted him, he wasn’t under the radar.

#137

I was more responding to pfooty to be honest, as he also made the same comment which was what I noticed. They play for different teams in different leagues, I just don’t see them as being that connected.

There’s nothing particularly “jheeze” about it. People said he’s been under the radar, I disagreed. It’s not that deep mate lol

#138

All shits and giggles my man.

1 Like
#139

I think the fact that Hinault owns Stade Rennais (former club) and the holding which owns Puma, who on their turn are shareholders in BVB, has something to do with why he went there for so cheap and not directly to Barcelona or Bayern.

#140

Sure, it’s a good strategy for them to squeeze more money. Problem is that I have zero confidence for Arsenal to either pay up or move on to other targets quickly and improve the team.

Every summer it’s the same shit. The part that I’ll never understand is why Arsene/the club cannot seem to learn that starting the season in a weakened state hurts the team much more than saving some funds on a deal completed late in the window. Cost the team a CL spot last season.

I’m not necessarily too worked up about who is coming in as opposed to when. Get the players in before the season starts.