Arsenal: Thomas Lemar joining Atletico a lesson for life after Wenger
By Nhan Doan
Liverpool also miss out on Lemar
Liverpool also faced the similar dilemma last summer when it pursued Lemar. The Kops also had a wantaway superstar in Phillipe Coutinho, though his contract was due to last until 2022. Similar to Arsenal, Liverpool doesn’t have a luxurious budget, meaning Coutinho must be sold until the team could commit to further action.
The Kops found a way to delay the inevitable and move on to life after the Brazilian, who was sold for $140 million in January. That amount was essential to bring in Naby Keita and Fabinho, who are remarkable upgrades in the midfield.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid added the final piece of the puzzle for a relative bargain. Los Rojiblancos has failed to find Arda Turan’s successor on the left wing. Vitolo, Nicolas Gaitan, and Yannick Carrasco were failed experiments. Lemar will be a perfect fit for Diego Simeone’s side, as he has proved to be a pacey winger and has tactical flexibility.
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Atletico acted quickly and got what it wanted. After firing blanks too many times last season which led to its early Champions League elimination, Atletico Madrid will be the one to watch come August with Diego Costa, Lemar, Griezmann and Saul Niguez leading the side.
Arsenal had three months to capture Lemar, but its hesitation that has greatly defined the final years of Wenger’s era came back to haunt the team. The Gunners appointed Sven Mislintat as the head of recruitment in November last year, who has made quick work in clearing out the deadwood as well as bringing new players. As Arsenal prepares for its first season under new manager Unai Emery, it can’t afford to repeat the same mistake in dealing on the negotiation table.