Arsene Wenger has revealed just how close Arsenal came to signing Monaco sensation Kylian Mbappe both this season and last year (via Arsenal.com).
It would have been one of the most incredible transfers of all time if Arsene Wenger had managed to convince Kylian Mbappe to join Arsenal.
He was the most coveted player on the planet this summer after his breakout season for Monaco last year but in the end, Paris Saint Germain won the race for his signature.
Now, Arsene Wenger has revealed just how close the Gunners came to landing the teenager.
“I think he was closer last year than this year,” Wenger revealed in his pre-match press conference.
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“I believe that we were on the case last year already, he was close to joining us, maybe closer last year than this year, because the competition to get him, was a bit smaller than it is today.
“He is in a position… I personally believe that for 90 per cent of players their career depends completely on where they choose to go and for 10 per cent of the players they can go where they want, they will still make a great career.
“For me, he is in the 10 per cent, he could close his eyes and choose ‘I go here to Real Madrid, or here to Arsenal or Man United’, and he will have a career because he is an exceptional football player.”
It would have been quite the coup but it’s a shame that Arsenal never managed to sign Kylian Mbappe. The comparisons to Thierry Henry are obvious but he’s a different player in many ways. Maybe things won’t work out for the Frenchman in Paris and we’ll get a chance to see him at the Emirates one day.
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