Thomas Lemar was one of the big names of the summer transfer window last year due to late interest from Liverpool and Arsenal.

The Monaco midfielder was mentioned as a potential replacement for either Philippe Coutinho at Anfield or Alexis Sanchez at the Emirates.

In the end, though, those two players did not leave their respective clubs until the January window.

According to the Liverpool Echo, the Reds worked hard at trying to get a deal done by offering €90m (£79.3m), but Monaco were holding out for around €100m (£88m).

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It is easy to see why the Frenchman attracted so much attention given that he scored nine goals and created 10 assists in 34 Ligue 1 appearances last season.

In the current campaign, though, the midfielder has been less prolific, nabbing two goals and eight assists in 28 outings.

In fact, Lemar is struggling to hold down a place in the France national team, which raises concerns over his chances of making the World Cup squad.

Given how things have panned out for the attack-minded star, some Liverpool fans are thankful that a deal to sign him was never agreed.