Thomas Lemar has emerged as one of Chelsea's main transfer targets on deadline day after impressing in Monaco's title-winning side last season.
Lemar has apparently impressed Antonio conte with his playmaking ability and versatility in midfield and, with multiple reports claiming Chelsea could be closing in on a £92m deal, here are five things to know about the 21-year-old France international ...
Scores and creates
Conte loves midfielders who can both create and score goals, and Lemar has proven he's equally adept at both. He netted 14 times in all competitions last season, and led the French league with 10 assists while setting up another four goals in the Champions League. He averaged 2.2 key passes per game in the league, the fourth highest among all players, using his left foot to create chances for teammates from all over the pitch.
Versatility
Lemar can play either as a central midfielder or on the wing, another trait that Conte values highly. At Monaco, he excelled on the left wing of a 4-4-2 formation that allowed him to drift into the centre at will, supported by the speedy Mendy on the flank. Lemar doesn't possess top-level speed but has the ability to create space for himself with excellent footwork and uses his quick decision-making to pick out the right pass.
Massive potential
Lemar has proven to be another brilliant buy by Monaco, who have built their recent success on snapping up young talents on the cheap and seeing them blossom into major stars (the kind of thing Conte used to be known for). He joined the Ligue 1 club from Caen for just £3.5 million in 2015 despite scoring just one goal in 32 league appearances and is still only 21. He has a long way to rise.
Spurs slayer
What better way to endear yourself to Chelsea fans than to score the winning goal against Tottenham? Lemar has already done that twice, netting Monaco's second goal in both 2-1 victories over Spurs in last season's Champions League group meetings. To make it even better, his goal in November knocked Tottenham out of the competition. If he was to keep that record up at the Brigde, he would be a fan favourite in no time.
Where would he fit in at Chelsea?
From a Chelsea point of view, Lemar could perhaps best be described as a better version of Tiemoue Bakayoko, equally proficient at starting attacks from deep inside his own half as he is at delivering the last defence-splitting pass in the final third.
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