He’s been their player most often linked to big money moves over the past few years, but they’ve strongly rebuffed them all because during that period he was arguably their best or most important player. He fell slightly out of favour this year and so there is the thought now is the right time to cash in before his value drops. It still seems very odd treatment for a player who despite the narrative was still one of their most heavily used players this season. But by the end of the season Simone was using Lemar in a CM role instead of him.