Champions consider hijacking Arsenal bid for Lemar

Chelsea are weighing up a clubrecord bid next month for Monaco’s £80 million-rated Thomas Lemar. Arsenal and Liverpool both failed with offers for Lemar during the summer.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal Chelsea hold a strong and genuine interest in Lemar, and are seriously considering making a bid so as to increase head coach Antonio Conte’s options. They would have to break their transfer record, which

stands at £57 million for Alvaro Morata. Chelsea have the advantage over Arsenal and Liverpool of being able to offer players, either on loan or permanently, in the other direction. And they would hope that Michael Emenalo’s switch to Monaco as sporting director could give them a boost if they go ahead.

Monaco were adamant they would not sell Lemar, 22, in the summer, but the club are out of Europe and trail Ligue 1 leaders Paris St-germain by nine points.

They are planning an overhaul of their first-team squad and academy,

which means Lemar is expected to be sold to the highest bidder, either in January or next summer, to help finance that.

Lemar is predominantly a leftfooted player, which Chelsea are short of, but he can play across a variety of positions. He would strengthen Conte’s attacking options, but could also give him another option at left wing-back.

The Premier League champions failed with a bid for Juventus leftback Alex Sandro and remain interested in the Brazilian. They have also checked on Porto’s Alex Telles

and Augsburg’s Philipp Max. Conte has again expressed fears his squad is not big enough to cope with domestic and Champions League campaigns, particularly following the last-16 draw against Barcelona.

Chelsea will also try again to sign midfielder Ross Barkley from Everton and are looking for another striker. Barkley turned down a move to Stamford Bridge on transfer deadline day while he recovered from injury. But the 24-year-old, also a target of Tottenham Hotspur, is nearly fit again and is openminded over his future.