Liverpool Target Thomas Lemar Sparks Exit Rumours After Rejecting Monaco Contract Offer

Liverpool target Thomas Lemar has reportedly turned down a contract offer from Monaco.

According to a report in French publication L'Equipe (via the ​Express), Lemar has rejected a new contract in the hope that he will be allowed to move on to pastures new in the summer.

The French winger, who has eight caps for his country, was part of the Monaco side that won the Ligue 1 title last season. He also scored his first two goals for his country in a 4-0 win over the Netherlands back in August.

22-year-old Lemar has been in such fine form since his emergence at Monaco that he has been linked with a move to ​Liverpool as a potential replacement for Coutinho.

The Brazilian playmaker left Anfield for ​Barcelona last month, in a deal reportedly worth £142m. Many Liverpool fans feel aggrieved that the club did not properly replace their star man in the January transfer window.

They may be waiting until the summer, though, with Lemar easier to attract having rejected Monaco's latest contract offer.

Good news for Liverpool fans emerged earlier today, as the ​Independent report that the Liverpool are Thomas Lemar's first choice and the club are 'monitoring' his situation. The Independent also report that Klopp tried to sign Lemar in January, but Monaco maintained a stubborn stance on the situation.

Lemar was also linked with a move to Arsenal, which almost came true last August when he was strongly linked with a £90m move to the Emirates. However, the move was dependent on Alexis Sanchez leaving the Emirates Stadium - something which didn't materialise during the summer window.

With​Arsenalmoving to strengthen their attacking options with the signings of Henrikh Mhkitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January, it seems increasingly likely that their interest in Lemar has waned - which could open the door even wider for a summer move to Merseyside.