Arsenal’s interest in Kylian Mbappe is long-standing. Arsene Wenger went to the Monaco striker’s house last summer to try and bring him to North London, aware that his talent was about to make him a household name.
The then 17 year old decided to stay at the Ligue Un club, and this season he’s caught the eye with some outstanding performances domestically and in the Champions League.
Now, L’Equipe say that Arsenal are rumoured to have made a €100m offer for Europe’s hottest striking talent.
There’s an article on their website right now which says:
A new club made a move to sign the young Monaco striker, currently training with the French team: it’s Arsenal.
Kylian Mbappé is on course to be one of the main attraction in the next transfer market. After Man City and Real, Arsenal have put themselves in the frame for the As Monaco striker.
The Gunners are even rumoured to have formulated an initial offer of €100m for the young French international!
Deprived of Champions League, the London club expects a tough competition on this business and is at the same time studying the track that leads to Alexandre Lacazette, the Olympique Lyonnais striker.
But they remain convinced they can fight on the case of a young prodigy they’ve been following for a few years.
Of course we’re well into the realms of speculation here, but Wenger is a huge admirer and this is the kind of signing he and Arsenal could do with to kick off what is going to be a very challenging summer.
They promise more information in a later edition, so let’s see what they say.
Probably a lag in season ticket renewals?
Of course I’d love it to be true and more than a “put in a bid knowing the bigger clubs will outbid us” effort, but heck. We’re all cynical bastards, nowadays.
Seems unlikely doesn’t it. You never know I suppose.
I am not trying to proclaim that I am ‘in the know’ or anything but apparently (I hate using that word with regards to football transfers) the bid has actually happened. Some extremely close friends of mine know a minor shareholder at Arsenal who is close to members of the board and seemingly it is actually true. James Olley has since also reported that the bid has happened, and he is usually switched on with regards to Arsenal and transfers My phone was lighting up like Harrods at Christmas this morning when I was on the way to work regarding… Read more »
Ornstein has said it is lies. BBC website.
Transfer window is worse than politics
I couldn’t find anything on the BBC website? You got a link? I’ve checked his twitter account too and he hasn’t said anything on there either?
Wow. This would be a very interesting start to the summer.
Would he help keep alexis and özil? Or do they require players with a bit more pedigree?
I think they’d love to play with a player like Mbappe. His movement and work rate is similar to Welbeck, and you can see how having someone who chases every ball and stretches defenders brings the best out of Sanchez and Ozil. You can tell Mbappe is a special talent, the things he does at his age is not normal, it reminds me of the King.
But the question is will we get him! Haha
Soak it in lads, at that price, he may well be our only summer signing.
surely this will be the net investment. How much more can we spend after selling Gibbs, Jenkinson, Sanogo, Perez, Wilshere, Szczęsny, Campbell and Akpom?
forgot about Debuchy
And Sanchez 🙁
Probably didn.t. Doubt we.d get 1 euro for him
Surely we’ll keep Szczęsny? Ospina is very likely to leave and Woj by all means had an amazing season in Rome. Most clean sheets and all plus he loves The Arsenal!
Really hope he comes home to learn from Cech, and Lollipop if he arrives as is speculated. (Sorry, but his name had me licked for a minute….. I’ll get my coat, taxi en route)
don’t forget Debuchy and Ospina. Sanogo is out of contract this summer (thank God!) I think Szczesney will be brought back with a new contract after Ospina leaves.
walcott…gabriel….
We just got 140m pounds from the league. That’s one Mbappe with a side of Mahrez (though I’d go for someone else at this point).
you know what, this is a good point, but is that in pounds or dollars? i think arsenal also got 10 million pounds from the FA Cup tournament. they could do well by selling some players also.
Why not Mahrez?
Love the guy – but where will he fit into our new system (ie. Mahrez)
On the wing she works sanchez up top?
Wings with*
There’s something about this site that makes typing on the phone even worse than usual.
with a back three he would be an attacking mid behind the striker i.e the Sanchez or Ozil role.
It’d be Mbappe up front, Ozil in behind him, and Mahrez and Sanchez on the wings.
Wow. That’s not half bad!
Only Sanchez tracks back in that four, although he does track back like a demon.
If we stick with a back three and Ozil wanders off, I could see him on one wing for sure. My only worry is if we revert to a back four he’d be asked to track back or move into the AM role, but I’m not familiar with him in the middle and worry about the defensive bit. If Theo moves on, sign him up. Or if he’s good with rotating with Ozil / Alexis (ha!). But the club had best not try to tell me he’s a replacement for Alexis. The more I think about all this we’ve got… Read more »
Mahrez could fit in on the right in a 4231 or behind the striker in a 3421.. Could definitely directly replace Ozil in the 11 when he runs out of steam (I love Ozil, but he does have a lean patch in him much like Giroud)
He would be worth it
Fucking Excellent!
?!!
If this goes through I will eat what hair I have left.
But seriously, he is 18, he could be with us for 6 years and still make his career whatever he wants in spain etc.. If I was him I would consider. However it is for this exact reason Champions league football is so important. I just can’t see us convincing any big names to join with Thursday night trips to Siberia.
Pogba and Kanté didn’t seem to mind. Zlatan Ibrahimovic! Think that says a lot about how player’s view 1 season without CL football. We’re out for 1 year not 5, no English club guarantees CL football anymore but we’re one of the few that come close. We will be back in sooner rather than later. Think we all know transfer is extremely unlikely, lack of CL doesn’t help but not deciding factor. If we’re being positive, we can offer him first team football at a higher level with a manager and set-up notorious for developing attacking talent. None of the… Read more »
I really hope its not just our board “leaking” this rumour to get people to buy season tickets and feel more optimistic lol. Wouldn’t put it past them
Announce Mbappe!
£100m for an 18 year old? I’d absolutely love it!
But my god money in football is gone to the dogs ! Ha
Pretty ludicrous really, I remember only about 10 years ago 25 million was considered an exorbitant amount. Remember when Arshavin at around 15 million was a record transfer fee for us? Now it’s just like grocery money.
€100m is staggering for an 18 year old. But when with the TV money that’s been splashed around it puts it all into context.
€100m ???
Never did I think we’d even table a bid like that. Wasn’t so long ago we offered £40m + £1 for the bitey one.
I think the article said €100m, which is £87m, which would still fall a tad short of Pogba’s transfer fee. But my God, what a statement this would be.
Hah! You sure the 100m was an offer and not next season’s ticket price? Could be a mistranslation.
??
Kudos. Your wretched cynicism tickled me good and proper
Hahaha. I try my best! Too many people take me seriouslu though 🙁
Christ if this is true and we sign him, I will forget about this season. That would be a huge statement.
This is surely worth a few poos blogs
Wenger going all in at Monte Carlo. I like it. Don’t know how much he will improve the team but I’m sure Wenger and Arsenal will positively influence his career. Arsenal will be a wise choice for M’bappe. At the moment win win I’d say.
I like the idea of this signing but AS Monaco are being torn apart this summer.
Based off gossip and done deals.. at least.
Bernardo Silva
Mendy
Mbappe
Lemar
Fabinho
Hopefully happens to Spurs 🙂 as much as we give them shit, they really have built themselves a pretty good team of 20’somethings.
10 poos. Now move on. And for anyone believing this, we are also in for Nantes Brazilian striker Gullible Dubelievit.
Nice bit off pr to offset the bad feeling following the announcement of the managers contract. In truth, I’d say the chances of this bid actually being made are slim, with an even lesser chance of it actually being completed. There are a number of reasons why this is a deal which won’t happen, chief among them being the price and the fact that it would be a step down for Mpabbe, with a number of better clubs available to offer him a greater chance of success. The only way I could see this happening is if Alexis and Özil… Read more »
Better clubs? May be you mean richer clubs, but there is no better club than Arsenal
No I mean better clubs. No shame in not being best. Problem is we’re a long way away from a good number of clubs.
Don’t really get it do you mate.
I know people love saying this to sound awesome.
But this is the kind of stuff Liverpool fans say about themselves and we mock them for it.
I don’t want our fans to become like them. We can still love our club without being delusional.
At Real he’s still got to fight for a place because everyone costs 100m there. City he’s got to compete more for a spot.
Here he’s practically golden from the start if he can continue to finish and he knows Wenger will give him his playing time.
And a serious move like this might be what it takes to convince Alexis and Ozil the club means business this time.
Or more cynically it might be as a replacement for someone who’s said they’re off, but I like the other scenario better so I’m going with that for now.
100M for this kid and what would that mean for our negotiations with Sanchez, Ozil & others subsequently? I’d rather retain Sanchez than get another wonder kid at this time at this price – this is going to put him under a lot of pressure and like Xhaka, he won’t be given time to settle down by our fans and we might end up tearing the kid and not achieve what we wanted. I still feel Sanchez is a good fit upfront and we need reinforcements elsewhere. We shipped more goals last season than in any other this decade! I… Read more »
would love him to come, and yes hed probably walk into our team but city could also be attractive in that regard. Aguero is injury prone and getting no younger and their backup in that area is arguably a weakness. And they got loadsa loadsa monaay
But they have Jesus!!
League is over before it has started, He will just get his Dad to point the finger and POW, Champions….. 😉
Is anybody really silly enough to buy tickets based off of a newspaper RUMOR stating a bid? Not a done deal – a bid. If so, our OR department may be worse than our current board.
Don’t worry about the tickets it will be sold out…
Thank God I can type this out since my jaw is still laying on the floor from this news, no matter how initial it is. Oh hell, the dog’s just gone for it…
That plus keeping Ozil and Sanchez and putting 40 for Mahrez and a good DM of around 30 million while selling atleast 3 fringe players and 3 players of value.
Howz that sound..
I’d say no to Mahrez and bring in Goretzka
Wise
Why Goretzka? In youtube he looks slow, no pace, similar to Xhaka.
I think we are looking for a midfielder. Santi is crooked right now. Wilshere is the same and his future precarious. ramsey has frequent niggly injury problems.
maybe we will sign mahrez if sanchez or ozil leave..
I’d say no to Mahrez regardless.
Havent shown much besides one season on fire. But that season their whole team was on fire.
Id say no to Mahrez and yes to Lemar, looks really direct and positive, however I think Monaco will probably draw a line on selling so many players. Would take either tbh
If true that would leave us with another 10-20 mill to spend + any outgoing players. With our loanees coming back and this lb on a free we wouldn’t need much more. I would also say to Theo that if he want more game time to develop defensively incase we need him at rwb.
That poo meter fixed yet?
I hope it will be fixed soon. This article has caused me a lot of big ones brewing
My butt we offered 100m for Mbappe
Arsenal PR staff: Boss, the reaction to the Wenger contract isn’t going down too well. We don’t know what to do.
Gazidis: DEPLOY THE WARCHEST DELUCINATOR.
Thank you, I needed a good laugh
I wholeheartedly believe this
We just got 140 million from the Premier League.
I think we can spend 200 million.
And why do us arsenal fans care so much about the money, like it’s our own money?
We’ve been so frugal before, let’s splash the cash! Because everyone else is and we have to start competing.
There’s splashing cash and then there’s insanity. Spending 100m on a teenager is insanity.
This guy is not just a teenager with a bit of talent, he is a future Ballon D’or winner. If you don’t see how special he could be then you’re blind. It would have been nice if Wenger had splashed the cash on teenage Ronaldo but it was Fergie who had the balls to do it, the rest is history.
No one can say that with certainty. A lot can happen to this young lad before his career has even taken off properly. A young Ronaldo could have been Stoke Orch fodder early on and the world might have never heard of him like it eventually did. Ramsey may not have been so unfortunate and he might have been the one at Real scoring for queen and country with shits and giggles on top. We can spunk the 100 on Mbappe and he might come good and all will be well. Or he gets injured and ends in Diaby limbo… Read more »
Your view is completely valid I must admit, its a risk, I think one Wenger might actually be willing to take. However if the guy is up for sale, you can bet there are three or four clubs that could completely blow us out of the water.
“you can bet there are three or four clubs that could completely blow us out of the water.”
Don’t worry, I have full confidence you’ll find a way to make that our fault too.
Bendtner you just jealous you didn’t cost that much
Exactly, given the year we have had, I think it would be a wise “investment” for Arsenal to go wild; overspend even.
“Like it’s our money”
For all the ST owning fans, some of it is.
None of it is fans’ money. Fans are the source of a significant proportion of the club’s income, but that is entirely different to the money being fans’ money. Season ticket holders get a season ticket in return for their payment and it stops being their money when they make that exchange.
A voice of reason.
Haha I got owned.
Can I delete my comment?
We just got 140 million from the Premier League.
I think we can spend 200 million.
And why do us arsenal fans care so much about the money, like it’s our own money?
We’ve been so frugal before, let’s splash the cash!
Because everyone else is and we have to start competing.
Please let me know your thoughts… But remember how we acquired Ozil?
I see Mbappe heading to Real Madrid (because Champions League, chance to work with Zidane, Ronaldo etc.), but where would that leave Morata? Perhaps on his way to England, preferably Arsenal? Speculation at it’s finest but I can see it happening!
It’s highly unlikely but damn, I remember Pires saying a few weekn back that he thought we would sign Mbappe, and Wenger hasn’t exactly been hiding his interest in him in the past.
Mbappe is going to Madrid. A move to Arsenal isn’t really that much of an upgrade. Won’t complain if Wenger pulled this off though
Well if he likes to spent like James on the bench and waste his time and his gold start to his career then he will go there. Note he is the one who said he wants to go to a club that he will be a regular not just moving to a big team and warming the bench. Maybe it means something to him how much wenger wanted to bring him last year and visiting his home and showing true statement plus we all know how much young players love wenger plus there is the french connection TH14 and monaco.… Read more »
No poops? Interesting
Let’s just dream that this is true and we actually end up landing this lad…. It would be stating the obvious that there would be an acceptance that we have finally turned a corner policy-wise, are starting to act like a big club, are showing the ambition the board have been promising, etc, etc. I SO hope we get him, though due to his age and obvious potential, even at a fee north of €100m, is there real significant financial risk? With the trend of transfer fees showing little sign of abating in four or five years, it is likely… Read more »
It sounds great and would be a great signing but until it’s signed and I see him holding an Arsenal shirt having photos I will say it is a load of crap.
Like AW will make an offer like that. Don’t you guys know him better?
Also, AW keeps chasing after these players who may or may not be available, or may or may not be interested in coming to the club, etc. AW’s been obsessed with Benzema and wasted the past two summers chasing after him (and ignored all other strikers).
Set your expectation low. This is AW. He doesn’t change.
I’d get begged for this, but I’d prefer we keep 70mil of that and make a cheeky 30mil bid for Martial. Once upon a time, he was the original Mbappe, and Jose is doing his usual of destroying at least 1 young players career per club (id also take Shaw too).
But we know Jose is a cunt of the highest accord and won’t let it happen.
I think Martial would be great under Wenger.
He’s a moody player and we need a guy who puts his head down and grinds.
On days good and bad. So no to Martial, imho.
Martial is more talented than Welbeck, but not any more effective.
I don’t believe believe the moody stories tbh. There was no such stories in his first season, or at Monaco for those years.
His moodiness began this season….with Jose.
I’m sure I could make a list of players, young players in particular, he started to get negative press under the stewardship of Jose.
Reminds me of all those stories about Gnabry being potentially lazy as to why he couldn’t break through under Saruman himself. Just happened that the manager was the one at fault.
Not to say Martial isn’t good or as good, he could even be better, but he was never the original Mbappe. He didn’t have the season Mbappe had and when he was transferred to Man U with the huge price tag, most people thought United were crazy. The one thing he had over Mbappe was a few more seasons of Ligue 1 but he never managed to score more than 9 goals. Again, not to say that he isn’t good or wouldn’t thrive at the Arsenal, but their beginnings are clearly not similar bar the fact they played for the… Read more »
Was his lack of goals not down to not playing enough though?
Maybe so, but I’d take Martial at 30mil if we end up getting a WC midfielder and top quality Winger in Mahrez (shoot id buy Gnabry back) than blow our potential summer budget on Mbappe, regardless of how good he is.
The sum is always greater than the parts.
Haha no chance.
I think Arsenal is the best fit for Mbappe. He’d get plenty of playing time and will improve as a player. Monaco had a better season than Arsenal but he’d be moving to a better league. He could still move to Madrid etc. in his early twenties.
Why am I reading that people want a DM to come in? Arsene brought in Granite and reupped Coq. He filled this role, like it or not. He’s not spending money here.
It’s the other midfield role that I worry about. Hate to say it but I would prefer Ox there ahead of Ramsey. Can Chambers be a backup to Bellerin?
So the Ramsey Xhaka combination isnt doing it for you? Ramsey is starting to find his feet again. I predict big things from this combination next season.
We need more than two players, when Ramsey is injured again then what?
Totally agree..we really need a great passer who is great on the ball and who can get forward to support the attak at the right time. A Vieira/Cazorla hybrid would be ideal. Not sure who that player is tho lol. I.d take a chance with Imbula on a loan from Stoke, he seemed to tick those boxes a couple of seasons back and would be pretty risk free
Naby keita would be tge midfield signing i want
…You’re kidding right? We’d blow a hundred bucks on an 18 year old but but not sack up when ozil and SANCHEZ want 300k a week???
While I don’t think this will happen this really is exactly the type of thing Wenger needs to go out and do. We badly need a center forward and this is exactly the type of move we need to make to convince Sanchez and Ozil we’re serious about competing.
Sounds very much like season ticket renewal time..same ole tactic…
Where is he poo-o meter. I neee the poo-o meter.
Trust me it’s 9 poos
a ha haaaa ha haaaa haa ha..
I laugh because its no true , because its the opposite of true..
ohh its funny..
Family guy reference
https://youtu.be/UBztjzDr0fM
For me, I want to know how much Gazidis gave L’Equipe to publish this.
Arsenal doing what they do…pretending to be in for the top players. Make a bid that will never be excepted. Looks good in the papers and the club can say they ‘tried’. Fooling the fans into thinking we are really in for top players, when we are really looking at keeping Giroud and adding a kid from Belgium.
We’ll end up with Defoes dad.
As much as I often think this is a tactic they might use to make them look like they tried, I also cannot see what positive impact it can have on the reputation of the club. I mean, how is having lots of players turning us down season after season a good thing image-wise when it comes to attracting the players we actually want? It could well be true, and if it is my opinion is that it fails to appease us fans AND fails to make us attractive.
I wish you’d be excepted.
Where’s the poo meter when we need one?
The smell of book of off this
Every year I say to myself, “Ignore all the transfer speculation…just ignore it. Don’t buy into anything until it’s on the website…”
I just can’t do it. They get me every single time!
There’s just nothing else to do in the summer, thats the problem.
This indeed could be transformational if it does happen. That’s a LOT of money for a Wenger signing eclipsing what we doshed out for Ozil. Also reports Ozil is agreeable to 280K per week. Some how I get the feeling that IF we go for an 87m splurge on one player, it may mean we will be losing Alexis at 55-60m. Greizzman is also available with United apparently cooling interest. he is probably 80m but does he want to be out of CL. There are only 2 players currently IF you ask me who can eventually be the future of… Read more »
IF Arsenal is tabling this kind of money, it finally shows the ambition we have all been craving.
Clearly its a low chance deal (plenty of reasons given in the comments already) but as the saying goes: “got to be in it to win it”
lol, you negative Nancy’s. Just ponder, even for a nanosecond, that maybe these board guys are really going to say fuck it and unshackle Arsene? Wouldn’t it be staggering for this Club to actually put up instead of blah blah blah? Finally?
I did smoke a spliff a bit earlier ………
Would love to see what Arsene could do without any financial restraint, his preferred player in each position plus back up.
Reality sucks balls doesn’t it………..
Many detractors of Wenger do not understand that he is one of the best operators in the market. Not saying he is going to land Mbappe but all this nonsense about the need for a Director of Football or David Dein, well neither were needed to sign Holding or Santi, or Koscielny, or Monreal or Alexis… In fact what many don’t/ rather not realise is we signed Ben Wigglesworth the head scout at Leicester just last summer to reinforce our scouting ranks so clearly there is plenty of work being done to revitalise our scouting end The simplistic sort of… Read more »
I agree with all your points but the one about him not needing assistance. In fact it is because of how good he is in recognizing talent and what he feels they are worth that we’ve missed out on players. He dithers too much till the opportunity to bring in the player is lost. Ronaldo, Suarez, Hazard, Higuain and Morata just name a few. Wenger can identify them and that’s it. Let someone else close the deal. Besides we need to start preparing for life without him by putting a structure in place.
Poo-o-meter on fleek for this one if you ask me, I’d love to be wrong tho