Liverpool are regarded ahead of Arsenal in the race for Monaco winger Thomas Lemar.

The Independent says Lemar alerted both Premier League clubs when he turned down a new deal with the Ligue 1 outfit on Wednesday.

Liverpool remain cash rich after the £142million sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona last month and they are expected to renew their interest in Lemar after seeing a £78m bid rejected last summer. Arsenal, meanwhile, agreed a £90m fee with Monaco only for the player to reject a deadline day deal.

The arrival of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January means Arsenal are set to focus on other areas of their team this summer with a new centre back likely to be a top priority.

That is a further boost to Liverpool's chances when it comes to Lemar.