The France international, 21, shot to fame last season as Leonardo Jardim’s Monaco won Ligue 1 and impressed in the Champions League.
And this summer he’s been heavily linked with a move away from the Stade Louis II, with Arsenal long seen as his most likely destination.
Last week Arsene Wenger admitted the Gunners had no chance of getting Lemar on-board though, having seen two bids for him rejected.
Barcelona and Liverpool have since emerged as potential suitors with the transfer deadline looming large.
Liverpool are thought to be interested in signing Lemar while keeping Coutinho too.
However, the Reds’ reluctance to let the Brazil playmaker leave means they may miss out on Lemar.
Spanish outlet Sport say Lemar and Paulo Dybala, of Juventus, have been considered as alternatives to Coutinho by Barcelona.
And the Monaco man has now risen to the fore as the player they’ll target if they can’t buy Coutinho.
Lemar and Monaco apparently made positive noises yesterday after being sounded out about a possible Nou Camp switch.
And Sport reckon a deal could be pushed through for about £73.6m (€80m) - considerably cheaper than Dybala would be.
Barcelona remain determined to nab Coutinho from under Jurgen Klopp’s nose.
But they may be forced to use the extra 24 hours the Spanish transfer window provides to land Lemar if snapping up Coutinho proves impossible.
