Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has spoken further about why the club opted against selling Thomas Lemar later in the summer transfer window.

The French champions rejected several offers from Arsenal for Lemar despite giving the greenlight to the sale of players like Bakayoko and Mbappe.

There have been various claims about how and why Arsene Wenger failed to land the services of the winger on transfer deadline day.

But Vasilyev now insists the decision to not sell was due to the ambition that Monaco has as a club.

“Sales, they are the consequence of having a great season, the league title, a great manager and an excellent recruitment cell and scouting network.” he said

“We don’t want records. We want to maintain a competitive team while respecting our economic model. And today, we’ve managed it.

“My dream has always been to develop the model, in both an economic and sporting sense, as far as possible.

“I’d said that a few years ago with Forbes magazine; I see that it is a possibility.”

“In 2015 we had to sell in order to meet FFP conditions, so it was more of an obligation,” added the vice-president.

“We are, currently, financially safe and sound. You sell when you think it’s the right time.

“You’ve got to accept the risk (to then sell someone at a lower price the next time round) and it’s by taking risks that we have got here.”

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