How Arsenal Led the Race for Kylian Mbappe but Still Missed out

There is no other elite club coach in the world who has tracked the development of Kylian Mbappe quite as closely as Arsene Wenger.

He kept tabs on him throughout the developing years and had a dream to one day see him emerge as the new Thierry Henry.

Even before a time when Mbappe was a household name in the sport, Arsenal's manager was trying to use his personal touch to persuade the young Frenchman he could guide him to stardom.

But Mbappe passed up the chance to move to north London and is now set to join Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco.

It's another story ending in frustration, but here is a look at how Wenger led the way in trying to land Mbappe—and how he slipped away.

On the Scene Early

When it came to tracking the star potential of Mbappe, Wenger was one of the first men in the loop.

He was managing in England, but connections in France made sure he was aware of this special talent that had begun to emerge.

Mbappe possesses a natural ability that every player dreams of. From the age of seven, he was running rings around kids two years his senior. At AS Bonby, where his father was a coach, he further developed his skills.

Mbappe's standout talent led to him being recruited in 2011 to join Clairefontaine, French football’s prestigious centre of excellence. It's the same place Henry was moulded.

He was turning into a teenager but already creating a stir. Chelsea had given him a trial, Real Madrid had made an attempt to sign him, and Wenger was making his own moves to stay ahead of the pack.

He had made his admiration clear and also let it be known to the player's family that he would always be willing to help with advice over the next stage of his career, should they need it.

In a world where money usually talks, Wenger had hope a personal touch would give him an edge.

The Gunners boss hoped this young lad would fulfil his potential and one day pull on an Arsenal shirt.

It was last year that Wenger decided he had to make a serious attempt at signing him.

A Family Affair

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When we think of Mbappe now, we visualise an icon of a new generation. Yet, incredibly, he could have been signed for a measly compensation fee just 18 months ago.

Mbappe was heading into talks with Monaco about a contract, and a brief window opened up for him to consider other clubs.

By way of his age and circumstance, that meant a fee of around €250,000 would have been enough to clinch his signature.

Wenger's approach to the situation was careful and calculated. He knew Mbappe had been brought up well and always leaned on the advice of parents Wilfried and Fayza. He was young, but not naive.

In 2013, the forward had turned down the opportunity to move to Madrid, even after meeting Zinedine Zidane, instead opting to remain in France. It was felt the upheaval would not be helpful.

French journalist Julien Maynard got to know Mbappe through his role at Telefoot and got a glimpse into his strong mind.

"He is particularly mature for his age," he explains. "He is very smart, he has a bright mind, and most of the time is positive and full of joy."

Wenger built trust with the family and was well-placed to convince him of a future in London.

PSG, Liverpool and Madrid had been in touch, but Wenger took it upon himself to visit the family home to speak to Mbappe and his parents, to see if he could open up the Arsenal move.

Dad Wilfried was welcoming, he was an admirer of Wenger's stature in the game and the way he had brought on such talent in the past.

There was a moment when Wenger thought he had found a breakthrough, but the family maintained a cautious stance.

Additionally, Mbappe felt he was close to something special at Monaco, so Wenger accepted a decision to sign a contract in France, without any pressure. Wenger was disappointed but undeterred.

He felt he would still have time to track Mbappe's progress and that he would make another offer down the line.

Little did he know, this teenager was about to explode on to the world stage.

Pursuing the World's Most Wanted Player

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By the time the 2016/17 campaign began, PSG, Madrid, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool had Mbappe on their radar, but Arsenal were comfortable with their standing in the race to sign him.

There was genuine belief that Wenger's personal relationship would hold them in good stead.

Mbappe then began to make headlines by showcasing his immense talent at any given opportunity.

I first reported on Arsenal's interest in Mbappe in December, and by the time the January transfer window opened, Wenger was seriously beginning to contemplate the next move. Mbappe had produced three goals and six assists from 11 appearances—only six of which were starts.

By the end of the season, he truly was a global sensation. In his first full-term of professional football, Mbappe had played 44 matches, scored 26 goals and produced 14 assists.

More impressively, he had made a major impact in Champions League fixtures against Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus. There was no side in Europe he could not take on.

Arsenal made him their number one transfer priority and were willing to shatter their transfer record to sign him.

Changing the Focus

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Wenger had plenty going his way.

He had the trust of family, he knew Mbappe was intrigued by the prospect of playing in the Premier League, and his past work with Henry and Nicolas Anelka illustrated how he could help take his game to new levels.

On top of that, Arsenal were willing to play him as a central forward and the board were willing to pay towards £100 million to secure his signature.

Wenger spoke with the player again but reports of an £87 million bid at the beginning of June turned out to be wide of the mark.

An interesting tweet by journalist Guillem Balague this week suggested a family request for commission of more than €7 million had put Wenger off when they met 18 months previously. It is certain that the financial side of any deal did start to move out of Arsenal's reach this summer.

His price tag began to rise: First £100 million, then £110 million...and so the pattern would continue.

By mid-June, it was beginning to look like a losing battle, especially as the concern over a foreign move was maintained.

Wenger was preparing to admit defeat as he needed to get his squad shaped-up for the new season.

Alexandre Lacazette and Thomas Lemar were shifted up the priority list, and the Mbappe dream started to fade.

A Sign of the Times

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As the finances of signing Mbappe became out of control, it also became apparent that he was intent on staying in France.

The fact PSG had signed Neymar and Champions League success was set as a priority in the French capital made a difference. The combination of cash and trophies is enticing at any age.

He is now set to join PSG on an initial loan deal that will become a permanent £167 million deal in a year's time. Not even the knowledge of Real Madrid interest had been able to alter the strong mindset of this 18-year-old prodigy. He knows he has time on his side to make another move when he is ready.

But Arsenal are unlikely to get the chance to sign Mbappe again.

One of Wenger's greatest career assets has been to lure young players to the Emirates with promises of becoming a superstar, but as results continue to cause concern and he struggles to keep his current squad happy, it could be another indication that his powers are on the wane.

As one source close to Arsenal told me: "Wenger did everything he possibly could to get Mbappe to Arsenal, but it was not enough. Perhaps it is just a sign of the times."