Arsenal may have just broken their club transfer record to sign Alexandre Lacazette, but Arsene Wenger reportedly still wants Kylian Mbappe.
The 18-year-old Monaco starlet is one of the most in-demand players in Europe after his exploits last season, helping the French outfit to the Ligue 1 title as well as the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Among the clubs interested are Arsenal, and according to France Football, Wenger has been pushing to capture what would be a dream signing for the Gunners.
It’s claimed that the veteran tactician held a three-hour meeting with Mbappe on June 14 after France’s friendly with England, in order to convince him that Arsenal was the best and most logical next step in his career.
The report suggests that he used Thierry Henry as a perfect example of how a move to the Emirates could define Mbappe’s career, as he would be a central figure at the club if he chose them this summer.
Naturally, the fact that Arsenal have since signed Lacazette would suggest that this is no longer a possibility, but the report specifically states that there is still a desire to land Mbappe even after the former Lyon striker’s arrival in north London.
However, with Real Madrid also interested in the teenager, coupled with the fact that the report adds his mother, Fayza Lamari, is pushing him to Spain, Wenger’s attempts could all be in vain.
It’s also possible that he remains at Monaco, as with the World Cup next summer, he may feel more comfortable in his current surroundings knowing that he’ll more than likely be on the plane to Russia if he can have another season like last year.
As noted by The Express, it’s going to take a bid of around £134m to prise Mbappe away from Monaco with Arsenal already seeing an £87m bid turned down. Whether the Premier League giants really have the funds and space in the squad to land Mbappe remains to be seen, but Wenger has certainly done his part to deliver big names this summer.