Who is Thomas Lemar and why should Arsenal sign him instead of Mahrez?

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Arsene Wenger is trying desperately to hold on to Alexis Sanchez, but the Frenchman knows very well that it will be a next to impossible task to keep Sanchez at the Emirates.

The Chilean is eager to reunite with his old boss at Manchester City and is pushing hard for a transfer. So keeping that in mind, Wenger is looking at the possible options that can replace the 28-year-old at Arsenal.

And two of the names that have popped up are that of Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez and Monaco’s Thomas Lemar.

So we decided to take a look at,

Is Lemar capable of replacing Sanchez?

Yes and No.

‘Yes’, because Lemar’s playing position is very similar to that of the Chilean. In the previous season, Lemar has spent most of his games playing on the right side of the pitch, the same position where Sanchez has been playing for Arsenal.

And ‘No’ because Lemar will not be able to emulate the Chilean’s statistics from the previous season. Sanchez scored 24 goals(EPL) for Arsenal in the previous season, while Lemar managed only 9(Ligue 1) for Monaco. And even if somehow he did manage to do that, then it is highly unlikely that the French International can match the work ethic and hard work of Sanchez.

Read: How the footballing world reacted to Wayne Rooney’s transfer.

How can Lemar fit into the Arsenal team?

Well, for starters Arsenal have already brought in a goalscorer in the form of Alexandre Lacazette. So if Wenger was to sign Lemar, the Frenchman will no be burdened with that responsibility.

But one thing Lemar does pretty well is provided assists. In the previous season, the 21-year-old had 10 assists for Monaco in the Ligue 1, the same number that Sanchez had for Arsenal. So Lemar and Lacazette can form a deadly combination and knock home a bunch of goals for Arsenal.

The Football Fan Base view:

We feel that Wenger will be going for Lemar and not Mahrez. Mahrez had a rather disappointing season last year and the last thing that Wenger would want to do is to invest in a player who is far away from his best form.

And if somehow Arsenal can manage to hold onto Sanchez then it will be nothing short of a blessing for Wenger. The Gunners boss then will have an extra option and can easily play Lemar at the heart of the midfield.

Read: Chelsea start pre-season but without a few players.