*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:13, 27 October 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 September 2021
Thomas Benoît Lemar (born 12 November 1995) is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Atlético Madrid. He is known for his versatility, being able to play on both wings and through the centre.
Lemar began his senior career at Caen in 2013. He played 32 times for the club, before moving to Monaco for £3.4 million in 2015, where he would win the 2016–17 Ligue 1 title.[4] In 2018, he signed for La Liga club Atlético Madrid, winning the UEFA Super Cup in his debut season.
Lemar represented France at every level from under-17 to under-21, and made his senior international debut in 2016 against the Ivory Coast.[5] He was a member of the team that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup, also featuring at UEFA Euro 2020.
Club career
Caen
Lemar made his Ligue 2 debut in the opening game of the 2013–14 season on 2 August 2013, replacing Jérôme Rothen after 78 minutes in Caen's 3–1 home win over Dijon.[6]
Monaco
2015–16 season
On 1 July 2015, Lemar officially joined Monaco for an undisclosed fee.[7] He scored his first goal for the club on 22 August 2015, scoring in a 1–1 draw with Toulouse.[8] On 20 September, he scored in the club's 2–3 home loss to Lorient.[9] Four days later, Lemar scored in Monaco's 3–2 win over Montpellier at the Stade de la Mosson.[10] On 17 January 2016, Lemar scored in Monaco's 2–0 away win over Lorient.[11] On 4 March, Lemar scored the opening goal in Monaco's 2–2 draw with his former club Caen.[12][4]
2016–17 season
Lemar with Monaco in 2016Lemar with Monaco in 2016
On 14 September 2016, Lemar scored his first goal of the season in Monaco's 2–1 away win over English club Tottenham Hotspur.[13] Three days later, he scored twice in Monaco's 3–0 win over Rennes.[14] On 1 October, he scored the opening goal in Monaco's 7–0 away win over Metz.[15] On 21 October, he scored the fifth of six goals in Monaco's 6–2 win over Montpellier, and on 18 November, he scored in Monaco's 3–0 win over Lorient.[16][17] On 22 November, Lemar scored the winning goal in Monaco's 2–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, scoring in the 53rd minute with his goal coming one minute after Tottenham had equalized through Harry Kane in the 52nd minute.[18]
On 15 January 2017, Lemar scored in Monaco's 4–1 win over Marseille, which moved Monaco to the top of the table.[19] On 1 February, Lemar scored in Monaco's 5–4 win over Championnat National club Chambly.[20] On 1 March, Lemar scored the winning goal in a 4–3 extra-time away win over Marseille in a 2016–17 Coupe de France round of 16 match.[21] On 1 April, Lemar scored in the Coupe de la Ligue Final against Paris Saint-Germain, scoring the equalizer in the 27th minute, but Monaco eventually would lose the final 4–1.[22] Lemar finished the season with 14 goals in all competitions.[23]
2017–18 season
In the 2017 summer transfer window, Lemar was linked to Premier League clubs Liverpool and Arsenal, though an agreement was never reached. On 29 June, Monaco rejected a £31m bid from Arsenal, and in late August, Liverpool had a bid of £65m rejected.[24][25] On the final day of the transfer window, Arsenal made a final offer of €100m, contingent on Alexis Sanchez moving to Manchester City for €65m but the move collapsed as Lemar was informed on extremely short notice, just hours before a crucial World Cup qualification fixture against the Netherlands.[26]
On 28 October 2017, Lemar scored his first goal of the season in Monaco's 2–0 win over Bordeaux.[27] On 15 December, Lemar scored the second goal in Monaco's 4–0 win over AS Saint-Étienne.[28] On 9 January 2018, Lemar scored in Monaco's 2–1 away win over Nice in the 2017–18 Coupe de la Liguequarter-finals.[29]
Atlético Madrid
On 18 June 2018, La Liga club Atlético Madrid confirmed that an agreement had been reached with Monaco for the transfer of Lemar.[30]
On 27 July, Lemar successfully passed his medical, joining for a reported fee of €70 million.[31] On 22 September, Lemar scored his first league goal for Atletico against Getafe in a 2–0 away win, where he also hit the shot that resulted in an own goal for Getafe keeper David Soria.[32] He ended the 2018–19 season with three goals in all competitions.
In the 2019–20 season, Lemar featured in 29 matches in all competitions, yet he finished the season with no goals and no assists.[33] On 5 December 2020, Lemar scored his side's opening goal against Valladolid in a 2–0 win, ending a run of 45 matches at club level without scoring dating back to April 2019.[34]
In the 2020–21 season, as manager Diego Simeone began experimenting with the 3–5–2 formation, Lemar surprisingly became a starter in the position of a left-sided central midfielder despite fierce competition from Saúl Ñíguez. During the 2021–22 season, he managed to score four goals in La Liga to achieve his personal best record at the club, in which two of them came in victories against Espanyol,[35] and Barcelona.[36]
On 18 March 2023, he scored a goal in a 3–0 win over Valencia,[37] which was his only goal in the 2022–23 season. On 16 September 2023, he suffered from an Achilles tendon rupture in a 3–0 defeat against Valencia, which required surgery and would sideline him for several months.[38]
International career
Lemar was called up to the senior France squad to face Sweden and Ivory Coast in November 2016 after Kingsley Coman withdrew through injury.[39] He made his debut on 15 November against the latter, replacing Adrien Rabiot for the final 12 minutes of a home friendly match that ended in 0–0 draw.[40] His first international goals for the senior team came in a 2018 World Cup qualifying match against the Netherlands, scoring twice as France won 4–0.[41]
On 17 May 2018, he was called up by manager Didier Deschamps to the 23-man French squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[42] He made his only appearance of the tournament in France's final group match against Denmark on 26 June, which ended in a 0–0 draw.[43] On 15 July, France won the World Cup for the second time in their history after defeating Croatia 4–2 in the final of the tournament.[44]
Style of play
Lemar is a versatile midfielder able to play on both wings as well as through the centre and in a free role.[45] He is predominantly left footed, but is also competent with his right foot.[45] He is noted for his excellent dribbling skills, strong passing ability and free kicks.[45] He has said he prefers to link-up with teammates, rather than taking on defenders: "I am trying to avoid duels and concentrate on passing as much as possible."[45] He will often attempt to score from long range.[45]
.jpg)
