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Liverpool transfer news: Pressure on for Thomas Lemar deal to be completed today
PRESSURE was on Liverpool to complete a move for Thomas Lemar today - and now the transfer is off.
Monaco star Thomas Lemar scores incredible free kick
France face Holland at the Stade de France tomorrow night in a World Cup qualifier which Lemar is due to play in.
The Mirror claim that Liverpool were trying to be forced into doing a deal with Monaco before deadline day had even begun.
But Liverpool chiefs believed they didn’t have time to get the move completed and have backed out.
It leaves Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as the main alternative before tomorrow’s 11pm deadline.
Liverpool transfer news: Thomas Lemar was eyed up by the Reds
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain doesn't want to move to Chelsea but is keen on Liverpool
Oxlade-Chamberlain has rejected a switch to Chelsea because he wants to play in centre-midfield and not as a wing-back.
That’s even though Arsenal agreed a £40m deal with their London rivals.
But, as yet, there’s been no bid from Liverpool for the England international.
Monaco are reluctant to sell but their purchase of Lazio winger Keita Balde on Tuesday raised hopes they may be preparing for his departure.
It would take a fee in excess of £70million for the highly-rated 21-year-old and late interest from Barcelona, who have been frustrated in their attempts to sign Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho, may have complicated things further.
Wantaway Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk is also a player Liverpool would be keen to sign should Saints decide to cut their losses on a defender who has yet to play for them this season after insisting he wants to leave.
But having had to publicly withdraw their interest earlier in the summer after allegations of an illegal approach, the Reds would need some encouragement from the south-coast club to make a world-record offer for a defender.
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