Even though the transfer of Kylian Mbappe to Arsenal did not happen this summer, it was one of the most persistent Arsenal transfer rumours in the football media, or at least it was in the early stages of the summer transfer window before the transfer fees being talked about switched from the silly to the downright crazy when PSG shelled out around £200 million to sign the Brazil international Neymar from FC Barcelona.
The fact that it was the same club who later secured the signature of the highly sought after young French striker just highlights how much spending power the French club has and how Arsenal cannot compete with them on a financial basis no matter how well we do commercially.
However, just the fact that the Gunners were even in the mix for Mbappe was a surprise to many people and some of the more suspicious Arsenal fans out there felt that our interest in him was a really a smoke screen and that Arsene Wenger never seriously thought he would sign Mbappe.
That question, at least, has now been answered by the player himself who has revealed, as reported by Sky Sports, that he did consider coming to play for Arsenal under Wenger.
He said, “I met with Arsene Wenger, who is a great coach. He has a great reputation here in France, he’s well-respected and knows how to develop young players.
“This was a real option for me. But, of course, Paris Saint-Germain was the main option.
“We weighed up the advantages and disadvantages of all the clubs but my family told me it had to be my decision and one I needed to make.
“It also had to be a long-term decision. So it was up to me and I decided to come here in order to develop.”
So there you have it Gooners. Will this admission from Mbappe help to ease the pressure on the under fire Arsenal manager?
Bob.