It’s been five years since Liverpool ultimately failed when making a late transfer swoop to sign Thomas Lemar from AS Monaco. With Barcelona pursuing Philippe Coutinho, the France international was Jurgen Klopp’s first-choice replacement for the Brazilian.
The Reds saw an initial £55.8m bid and a second offer of £64.8m rejected by the French outfit late in the month as transfer deadline day loomed, with their swoop for the midfielder coming having already rejected three bids from Barcelona for Coutinho. And with the Catalans’ third offer worth £114m after the Brazilian had submitted a transfer request, Liverpool were well-aware that the La Liga outfit were not likely to give up on signing the playmaker.
However, any late Reds move for the Monaco man as a replacement on transfer deadline day was complicated by his involvement in France's World Cup Qualifier against the Netherlands at the Stade De France in Paris that night - a game in which he actually scored an incredible long-range effort. Sporting director Michael Edwards even sent medical staff to Paris in case they needed to conduct a medical, however, Liverpool would ultimately not make a fresh offer after Monaco upped their asking-price following a £92m bid from Arsenal.
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Lemar would reject the switch to the Emirates, holding out hope he could still move to Anfield but it wasn’t to be as he ended up staying in France and Coutinho ended up staying at Anfield - until January at least. By the time the transfer window reopened, the Brazilian would belatedly complete a club-record £142m switch to Camp Nou.
However, the Reds would not reignite their interest in Lemar as they instead used such funds to finance a move for Virgil van Dijk. As a result, the France international ended up signing for Atletico Madrid in a £70m deal in June 2018, though he has since admitted he still regrets not being able to complete a move to Merseyside.
“Regrets? Maybe. I’m not going to hide it, I was a little disappointed,” Lemar later told Telefoot “Once it's over, it's over, so I try not to think about it. I’ve kept working so that these clubs come back during the next transfer window. I am open to all offers. I am a football player, I like football. I do not close any door."
Ultimately Liverpool have never been given reason to regret missing out on Lemar five years ago. With Klopp replacing Coutinho via a change of style as opposed to with a like-for-like playmaker, the Reds have gone on to win every major honour on offer to them.
Meanwhile, the midfielder has hardly performed to a level at Atletico that would have justified a £92m outlay. Having said that, he’s hardly been an unmitigated flop in Madrid either.
So, with Liverpool in the market for a new midfielder before the transfer window closes on Thursday, could now be the time to belatedly reignite their interest in their former target?
"Are we still after a midfielder? Ish. Somehow, yeah,” Klopp confirmed at his latest pre-match press conference. “The closer we get to the last minute, the more unlikely it gets. That's how it is.
“What can I say? Nothing. We are not out. I couldn't (tell you names (even) if I wanted. And I don't want. It's difficult, it's really difficult because, for sure there are a few players out there which would be the right ones but they have different issues.
“Some of them are contracted, clubs don't want to sell, all these kind of things. That's how it is, we cannot force it. I can't wait, but we'll see. Thursday, 11 o'clock. There is still time.”
Klopp’s latest admission admittedly sounds like he is resigned to not strengthening his squad further before the transfer window closes, with his desired players seemingly not available. So what about switching attentions to a former target well-aware to their recruitment department who previously fit the Reds’ bill?
Still only 26, Lemar was admittedly more of a winger/attacking midfielder when Liverpool were first interested in him back in 2017. However, he has shown his versatility further under Diego Simeone and has, at times, been used in central midfield. Having been badly strung by injuries this season, such versatility would inevitably appeal to Klopp, while the playmaker could be a rare commodity at Anfield as a midfielder actually in the midst of his peak years, with Naby Keita the only such star currently on the Reds' books.
Meanwhile, the Frenchman had been due to be out of contract next summer, and has reportedly had to accept a 40% wage cut to stay at the Wanda Metropolitano due to Atletico’s financial troubles. While nowhere near as bad as Barcelona’s own issues in juxtaposition to La Liga’s salary rules, Lemar is said to be one of five high-earning players who has been asked to accept a salary cut and accept deferred payments for monies owed.
Given such financial issues, which have also reportedly caused concern at Barcelona and could cost the Catalans up to £50m as they look to offload Antoine Griezmann, it is possible they would be open to sales and even make players available at cut-price fees.
Of course, the possibility of Lemar moving is purely speculative at this current time. And while there is no suggestion that Liverpool would make a renewed effort to sign the Frenchman even if he was available, they do find themselves in a similar situation to five years ago as they face a race against time to strengthen their midfield before the transfer window closes.
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