Arsene Wenger has given up hope of a world record deal for France and Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe and is now focussed only on Thomas Lemar in negotiations with his former club.

Two Arsenal bids have been turned down by Monaco for Lemar, who did not want to lose any more players ahead of the season, but Wenger is not giving up hope on a deal that may pave the way for Alexis Sanchez to leave.

Wenger’s reluctance to quickly sell Sanchez or indeed Olivier Giroud is down to uncertainty about whether he can get the 21-year-old Lemar, who could play in Sanchez's usual position off the left, even after the club record signing of Alexandre Lacazette.

Wenger sees Lacazette playing principally as his main central striker but is mindful of leaving himself short of options at the end of the summer given how Sanchez and Giroud are clearly so unsettled and may leave. Like Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are also in the final year of their contracts but Wenger is confident that both will stay and start the season regardless of whether they sign a new contract in the next month.