Why Mbappe makes surprise visit to Arsenal’s medical room, Mikel Arteta prepares to sell Nketiah for £50m to fund transfer for incoming striker
Former Arsenal scout Gilles Grimandi regretted missing out on Kylian Mbappe’s signing after showing the striker around the club’s training facility. The World Cup winner was playing for Monaco at the time and was keen on a bigger move in Europe.
But Mbappe chose French giants Paris Saint-Germain and the rest is history. The 25-year-old is in the final year of his contract and could move again next summer.
But Grimandi does not believe the Gunners will be able to sign the French international. “I don’t know if Kylian Mbappe is a realistic target for Arsenal, even if the club wins the Premier League and has a strong season in Europe,” he told Ladbrokes. “We tried to convince him before, in 2016.
“We met his parents in London, who came to train, and we went to the south of France to meet Kylian with Arsene and Richard Law.
“We tried to convince him but I don’t think it was the best time for us; this meeting was the day after we had just lost to Swansea at home in the league, which itself followed a loss at Old Trafford, and I remember we had a big away game against Tottenham just three days later, so the timing was not ideal.
“We tried and I really don’t think we were far from getting him, but he turned down the project and signed a new contract with Monaco. I’d say that’s probably the biggest disappointment in my 15 years of scouting for Arsenal, that I couldn’t persuade Kylian Mbappe to sign for the club.
“Kylian is the kind of player who can change a club, that’s for sure. There are not many such players in the world, it can happen once in a lifetime as a scout or manager; to sign someone who changes your club, and we just missed Mbappe a few years ago. “
Mbappe is coveted by every club in the world, but only a handful can afford the PSG star’s huge salary. Real Madrid have long been linked with the speedy striker, and Grimandi has an idea of where he will end up.
He added: “If we look ahead, all the best clubs in the world, which must include the English trio of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, should try to sign him because he is a very special talent and there is a good chance that someone will sign him on a free transfer.
“But my instinct is that he is stuck at Real Madrid, and let’s not forget that PSG will be very keen for him to stay in Paris, so I don’t think he will come to Arsenal, but of course it would be great if he did.
“It would be something special to see Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe play in the same league, especially if Mbappe played for Arsenal.”
