Arsenal transfer news: Wenger ponders £50m move for Thomas Lemar

Arsenal are reportedly ready to increase their bid for Monaco midfielder Thomas Lemar, with Metro claiming they are willing to go as high as £50m after bids of £30m and £40m were rejected.

So far the French champions have refused to countenance selling their midfielder but Arsene Wenger is said to be confident he can break the resolve of the club with a deal worth £50m once add-ons are included.

If he can't, claims ESPN, then he's likely to turn his attention to Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic. Quoting sources in Italy, the broadcaster says that Wenger is "a long-term admirer of Brozovic" and has sent his scouts to watch the Croatian international on several occasions last season.

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Chelsea and Manchester United have also been linked with the 24-year-old in recent months but ESPN has it on good authority that Arsenal "are now stepping up their interest" as they look to bring in players to complement their marquee signing of Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette. Inter are said to be "open to offers" for Brozovic as they look to trim their wage bill in order to avoid incurring the wrath of Uefa and their Financial Fair Play regulations.

Talking of wages, the Daily Star says that the Gunners are ready to offload Alexis Sanchez but only if a club offers them £80m in return - and it must also be a club outside England.

That will be a dagger in the heart for Pep Guardiola, who continues to dream of bringing the Chilean striker to the Etihad, but the Star says Wenger is dead against selling the South American to a Premier League rival.

Bayern Munich haven't given up hope of landing the 28-year-old, but the Star says Paris Saint-Germain are in the driving seat with the French club ready to "pay him a whopping £400,000" a week in wages if he heads across the Channel. And even if PSG and Bayern go cold on the idea, Wenger "is said to be willing to let Sanchez sit out his contract rather than strengthen Guardiola's City squad".