Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has revealed that Thomas Lemar was open to joining Arsenal as well as Liverpool on transfer deadline day.
Arsene Wenger has revealed that the Gunners tabled a £92m bid for the 21-year-old with a matter of hours remaining in the transfer window on Thursday.
Reports emerged claiming that the transfer fell through because Lemar did not want to play for Arsenal due to the club being absent from the Champions League.
Liverpool, who will be playing in the elite European competition this season, were also heavily linked with a late approach for the Frenchman, but Vasilyev has suggested that Lemar stayed due to the club already allowing a handful of first-team players to leave.
Tiemoue Bakayoko was sold to Chelsea, while Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva completed moves to two-time Premier League champions Manchester City.
"It was not easy," The Independent quotes Vasilyev as saying. "Thomas wanted to go to Arsenal and to Liverpool, but we had discussions and we took a joint decision so that he could stay here.
"He is a very important player for us. We could not have sold him, it would have affected the entire team and the individuals."
Wenger has confirmed that he will revive his pursuit of Lemar when the transfer window reopens.
Danielle Joynson
