Monaco Reveal Why They Didn’t Sell Lemar To Arsenal

AS Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has revealed that the club no longer needs to sell players like Thomas Lemar in order to comply with FIFA Financial Fairplay (via The Evening Standard).

It would have been a fascinating transfer deadline day for Arsenal Football Club had AS Monaco and Thomas Lemar agreed to that £92 million move.

Unfortunately for Gunners fans, Lemar did not join the list of big money players to move on from the Ligue 1 side in recent seasons and now, club vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has revealed why.

“In 2015 we had to sell in order to meet FFP conditions, so it was more of an obligation,” Vasilyev told L’Equipe. “We are, currently, financially safe and sound. You sell when you think it’s the right time. You’ve got to accept the risk and it’s by taking risks that we have got here.”

The “risk” Vasilyev is referring to is the possibility of a player’s market value decreasing. That could well happen with Thomas Lemar but the vice-president doesn’t seem to mind.

“We are not looking for records. Sales, they are the consequence of having a great season, the league title, a great manager and an excellent recruitment cell and scouting network.

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“We don’t want records. We want to maintain a competitive team while respecting our economic model. And today, we’ve managed it.

“My dream has always been to develop the model, in both an economic and sporting sense, as far as possible. I’d said that a few years ago with Forbes magazine; I see that it is a possibility.”

So, that could see a change in Monaco’s model of signing young players and turning them into top quality players to sell for huge profits. Many other European clubs have reaped the benefits of this system but it seems like the Ligue 1 side are more eager to hold onto some of their star players from now on.