Thomas Lemar is thought to be the player Arsene Wenger sees as the perfect replacement for Alexis Sanchez, with the Chilean, despite the Arsenal manager's denials, expected to move on before the summer transfer window closes.
Well, Arsenal might just be able to get both deals done at the same time, if The Sun is to be believed, with a report in the English newspaper saying Monaco are interested in signing Sanchez.
The French champions are ready to put in a £45 million bid for Sanchez, with that amount pretty much the same as the one that Arsenal have offered to Monaco for Lemar.
Arsenal have been trying to tempt Monaco into selling Lemar all summer, but have so far failed to convince the French club into letting go of one of their prized assets.
However, if Monaco do go ahead with the Sanchez deal, it will make life a lot easier for both clubs.
But then, there are several questions that rise over this proposed transfer.
Will Sanchez be happy to move to a club like Monaco that, every summer, sell their major stars?
How will Monaco be able to afford the salary that Sanchez will demand?
The Arsenal forward has reportedly already rejected a contract offer from the English Premier League club worth £275-300,000 a week, and while living in Monaco means no taxes, it will be extremely surprising if the Ligue 1 club go so high for the Chilean.
A few years ago, they did go the big-name, big-money route, but all that was shelved a couple of seasons back, with Monaco deciding to take the young players path. And that is a strategy that has worked for them, both in terms of success on the pitch and revenue, owing to the amount of money they make on transfers.
So, they are extremely unlikely to change that plan and pay big money for a forward who will turn 29 at the end of the year. Even if Monaco were to buy an experienced player, it would be someone a lot lighter on the pocket.
Wenger has also insisted Sanchez will not be sold, hinting at the fact that the player has been informed about that fact.
"The only thing I can tell you is that he is focused, and my decision is clear, he will stay and he will respect that," Wenger said. "It is as simple as that.
Sanchez has been linked with moves to PSG, Manchester City and Chelsea, with Pep Guardiola's side thought to be his preferred destination.
