Arsene Wenger closes the door on Lemar pursuit

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has confirmed that the club's pursuit of Thomas Lemar has ended following Monaco's reluctance to negotiate a transfer fee.

The Gunners have had three bids turned down for the France international, and Wenger has now officially admitted that the deal is dead.

Speaking in his press-match pre-conference prior to the Liverpool game, the Frenchman ruled out the possibility of signing Lemar whilst insisting that Monaco are focused on the cases of Fabinho and Kylian Mbappe.

"It's dead because Monaco have closed the door, definitely. They're still on cases like Mbappe and Fabinho," he told reporters via ESPN.

The Gunners have recruited just two players in Sead Kolasinac and Alexandre Lacazette in the transfer window, and there may not be any transfer activity inwards prior to next Thursday's deadline.

Arsenal host free-scoring Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, where they will be boosted by the services of Alexis Sanchez, who has recovered from his recent abdominal strain.