Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger looking to offload fringe players to fund improved bid for Monaco winger Thomas Lemar

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Arsenal will seek to off-load fringe players before deciding whether to smash the club’s transfer record for the second time this summer with a raid on Monaco for Thomas Lemar.

Lemar remains at the top of Arsene Wenger’s wish-list despite clear indications from the French champions that they are not selling the 21-year-old winger.

Monaco have already cashed in on Bernardo Silva and Tiemoue Bakayoko during the summer market and will sell Benjamin Mendy to Manchester City if they meet the asking price of more than £50million. They have issued a firm ‘hands-off’ warning regarding Lemar but Wenger is not ready to give up. 

Arsenal are weighing up making another raid for Monaco midfielder Thomas Lemar

Lemar (right) in for Monaco during Sunday's friendly clash with PSV Eindhoven

A move to London appeals to the France winger and Arsenal suspect there is a figure which might persuade Monaco to do business, although it could be a package with add-ons taking the fee close to £80m.

Wenger has spent a club-record £53m on striker Alexandre Lacazette and Arsenal are not hard up but funds could be raised by selling players with no first-team future.

Newcastle are interested in full backs Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson and there has been Premier League interest in a permanent move for Calum Chambers, with new Crystal Palace manager Frank de Boer among his admirers. Mathieu Debuchy, with a year left on his contract, has been told he can leave on a free.

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is set to finalise his move to Juventus after agreeing a deal in principle. The fee is expected to be around £10m. The 27-year-old Poland international, who has spent the last two seasons at Roma, will sign a long-term contract and compete with Gianluigi Buffon, with wages of around £70,000 a week.

Lucas Perez is wanted by Deportivo La Coruna and Fenerbahce, although Arsenal want more than £12m for the striker. 

The 21-year-old made 41 appearances for Monaco last season, scoring 14 goals 

Jack Wilshere’s future is unclear after he suffered a broken foot during his loan at Bournemouth.

Olivier Giroud is on tour with Arsenal despite interest from Everton, Marseille and West Ham. 

Meanwhile, Francis Coquelin has backed Lacazette to give Arsene Wenger’s team the clinical edge they often lack. The pair have known each other for years after playing together for France at Under 17 level.

‘In front of goal he is always ice cold and scores a lot of goals,’ said Coquelin. ‘His record for Lyon is incredible. He scored 140 goals for the club so he has shown that in front of goal he doesn’t mess around and that is what we need. 

Wojciech Szczesny is set to join Serie A champions Juventus in a £14m deal from Arsenal

Spanish forward Lucas Perez is wanted by Deportivo La Coruna and Fenerbahce

‘He is a goalscorer. He’s been doing it since I’ve known him. He doesn’t need many chances. He scored 37 goals last season in 45 games and he will probably get even more chances than at Lyon.

‘He can make a name for himself.With the way he plays, people have said “Ian Wright”, but he has his own style.

‘The question when you come to the Premier League is always about physical football. That is the test. But I am not scared about that. He is really humble and knows the Arsenal shirt means a lot. There was a core of French players who were at Arsenal. It is a good tradition that we had French strikers and that we can carry that on with Alex.’