Kylian Mbappe’s Arsenal future ‘SHIRT NUMBER’ revealed as agent and PSG owner gives greenlight for January transfer, medical date fixed as Arsenal set to announce their first signing
Arsenal could end an eight-year scouting mission, as today [1 January] it has the chance to land Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman continues to be linked with a departure from his club as a result of the ongoing contract unravelling.
The striker has made a name for himself in recent years as one of the best in the world, which has led to talks of a move elsewhere, such as to the Premier League or La Liga. However, this never quite materialised, as new contracts were very often signed with the French champions.
This has not happened so far, as the 25-year-old turned down a one-year contract extension last summer, which meant he only had 12 months left on his contract. In a panic, the Parc des Princes decided to take drastic measures to try to reach a compromise.
Either they would sign a new contract or negotiate a departure, but neither came to fruition as the club isolated Mbappe from the first team and pre-season training. Eventually, when the Ligue 1 season had already started, he was called back and since then he has not looked like he wants to leave.
However, with only six months left until the winter, his contract is expiring by the day. There are several options on the table and a possible departure seems increasingly likely for the teams that continue to circle a potential lucrative offer.
One of these teams that have been contacted in recent months is Arsenal, who could confirm a deal as early as 1 January due to pre-contract registration. With the final months of his contract still to come, Mbappe could agree a deal with a club outside Ligue 1 and sign for them in the summer.
If it’s the Gunners, then he could be confirmed as soon as possible and bring them much-needed firepower in attack, even if they have to wait a few months. Such a deal could end an eight-year mission after the club missed out on Mbappe in 2018.
This is what former scout Gilles Grimandi told Ladbrokes, according to the Express: “We tried to convince Mbappe before, in 2016. We met his parents in London, who came for training, and we travelled to the south of France with Arsene and Richard Law to meet Kylian.
“We tried to convince him but I don’t think it was the best time for us; this meeting took place the day after we had just lost to Swansea at home in the league, which itself followed a defeat at Old Trafford, and I remember just three days later we had a big away game against Tottenham, so the timing wasn’t ideal.”
