Arsenal are reportedly ready to smash the world transfer record with an improved £95 million bid for Monaco starlet Kylian Mbappe. The Gunners had an £87 million (€100m) offer rebuffed on Friday.
Arsene Wenger has previously spoken of the similarities between Mbappe and Gunners legend Thierry Henry.
The French champions have already snubbed three colossal bids for the 18 year old forward, the largest of which a £105 million offer from champions of Europe; Real Madrid.
It is understood the new bid will contain a larger upfront payout. Arsenal fans will no doubt have been excited at the prospect of paying big money for a player, with Arsene Wenger’s reluctancy to spend big irking many of the Gunners faithful in recent years.
The emergence of Mbappe at Monaco this season has been meteoric: the striker netting 15 league goals and eight assists as well scoring in five of his first six knockout ties in the Champions League. He has been playing as part of a front two for Monaco alongside Falcao, but if he makes the switch to the Emirates, its likely his appearances will come as a member of an attacking three.
Having finished the season playing a 3-4-3 system, Mbappe would be an excellent replacement for the ageing Olivier Giroud or on the right hand side if Mesut Ozil is sold. If Wenger opts to return to the previous 4-2-3-1 Mbappe could be played as the lone striker or used in a less attacking wing role, similarly to Wenger’s deployment of Thierry Henry in the beginning of his Arsenal career.
The prospect of an attacking trio of Sanchez, Mbappe and Ozil will excite most Arsenal fans, who’ll be hoping a hallmark signing will convince both Sanchez and Ozil to extend their contracts at the club beyond the end of next season.
The signing of another striker could signal the end of Lucas Perez’s Arsenal career, who will fall further behind Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott in the Gunners pecking order, while Yaya Sanogo has confirmed he will leave Arsenal this Transfer window.
If Monaco manage to keep hold of their 18 year old talisman, Arsenal will likely return to long term target Alexandre Lacazette of Lyon or want away Leicester wide man Riyad Mahrez, who both will command fees in excess of £40 million. Though for now it would appear it is only a matter of time before the Arsenal lure becomes all too much for Kylian Mbappe and Monaco.
A world-record fee? Only time will tell.
Written by Sam Hanys.
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