Sunday 7 January 2018 16:09, UK
Liverpool's decision to allow Philippe Coutinho to join Barcelona will not bring forward any possible move for Thomas Lemar, Sky Sports News understands.
The Monaco forward has regularly been linked with a move to the Premier League, with rivals Arsenal also understood to have strong interest in the 22-year-old.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger denied making a January move for Lemar as recently as last week.
Monaco have always been steadfast in their desire to keep hold of Lemar, at least in January, with their vice-president Vadim Vasilyev telling Sky Sports News as far back as October that no deal would be done at least until the next summer window.
"January, in football, never say never, but this is not what we're thinking of, this is really not in our plans," Vasilyev told Sky Sports News chief news reporter Bryan Swanson.
"Definitely next summer will be something to look at, although you know in football there are no guarantees. We had some players who were supposed to leave this summer but didn't leave because of X, Y, Z. I think it would be fair to say Thomas will have a fair chance to an exit next year."
That line was reiterated by Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim on Friday when he said the club was "not in the habit of making big sales in the winter."
Sky Sports News also understands Sporting Lisbon winger Gelson Martins is not being lined up as a January replacement for Coutinho after reports in Portugal linking him with a move to Anfield.
Leicester winger Riyad Mahrez is also not a target for Jurgen Klopp, while the Coutinho transfer will make no difference to Liverpool's deal to sign Naby Keita.
RB Leipzig agreed to sell the midfielder to Liverpool in August but the Bundesliga club's stance remains firm that the deal will not be brought forward and Keita will not make his move to England until the summer.
