Perry Groves believes Arsenal will secure the £45million transfer of Monaco ace Thomas Lemar this summer, as Arsene Wenger continues to assemble his squad for the 2017/18 campaign.
The former Gunners ace, who won two first division titles during his spell at Highbury, thinks the 21-year-old’s move to the Emirates is inevitable and that Wenger will end up coughing up the full whack for the Monaco man in order to bring him to north London.
Lemar impressed in 2016/17, scoring 14 goals and providing 14 assists in 51 matches and he is tipped to join a mass exodus that has seen high-profile stars Tiemoue Bakayoko, Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy all leave Ligue 1, with Kylian Mbappe also set to jump ship.
And Groves reckons Lemar will follow Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac’s footsteps in joining Arsenal.
‘I think the Lemar deal will get done,’ he told bwin. ‘It’s coming down to how much.
‘I’d like to think we’re in the position that if they want £45m, then we go and pay it and send the right message to the player that we want you.
‘I still think we’re two or three players away from winning the title.’
Groves would like one of those new summer arrivals to be Steven N’Zonzi.
The former Stoke midfielder has impressed at Sevilla and since been linked with a move to some of Europe’s top clubs.
And Groves thinks Arsenal should look at signing the Frenchman.
‘I’m not just saying this because I watched him but I’ve been a massive fan of N’Zonzi,’ he added.
‘I think he could do a real job in the centre of that midfield for us, adding the steel he did at Stoke and Blackburn. He’s a destroyer.’
MORE : What can Arsenal expect from transfer of Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri?
Share this with