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Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners Reportedly Offer €100 Million for Kylian Mbappe
June 1, 2017
Arsenal on Thursday reportedly offered €100 million for the 18-year-old AS Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe.
French publication L'Equipe reported the Gunners' big-money offer (h/t Goal's Robin Bairner):
However, Bairner also noted how Arsenal have an alternative in mind, knowing there is likely going to be intense competition for Mbappe's signature this summer:
Arsenal's willingness to consider other targets makes sense since both Manchester City and Real Madrid were recently credited with making world-record bids for Mbappe. French source Telefoot (h/t Metro) noted Los Blancos had matched a €130 million offer from the Citizens.
Spanish publication Marca (h/t Metro) believes Mbappe's preferred destination is Madrid.
Even so, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger may still feel confident he can convince Mbappe to choose north London instead. After all, Wenger revealed during an interview with BeIN Sports in May that he visited the striker's house in 2016 to try to sign the precocious attacker (h/t Aaron Flanagan of the Daily Mirror): "The player would tell you that I was at his home last year to try to get him here. Because he was at the end of [his] contract, but Monaco managed to keep him, and the decision was very, very tight."
The Gunners were linked again with Mbappe in May, with Rob Draper of the Mail on Sunday reporting an offer worth £85 million had been made, along with the promise Mbappe would play as a centre-forward.
Despite Wenger's attempts, Arsenal could still be frustrated, though, since the Gunners can't offer Mbappe UEFA Champions League football after finishing fifth in the Premier League this season.
Yet playing in the UEFA Europa League may not be a problem for Olympique Lyonnais' Alexandre Lacazette, with the Ligue 1 club also set to be involved in UEFA's second-tier competition next season.
Arsenal's chances of signing Lacazette have grown stronger after fellow suitors Atletico Madrid failed to get a transfer ban lifted on appeal, per MailOnline's David Kent. However, domestic rivals Manchester United have offered £50 million to win the race for Lacazette, according to David Maddock of the Daily Mirror.
Wenger's squad needs a new striker, and the Frenchman has promised to acquire only the best players after recently signing a new contract, per Ben Rumsby of the Daily Telegraph: "I believe that our squad is very strong, and we will only look for top-class people who can strengthen our team now."
Mbappe fits the bill as the best young striker in Europe. His pace, power and technique would be perfect fits at Arsenal, but beating the competition will be far from easy.