COSTLY ERROR
Arsenal could have signed Mbappe on the cheap last year
ARSENE Wenger is driving the attempt to recruit Kylian Mbappe, even though Arsenal recognise it will be a difficult task to persuade the 18-year-old to turn down Real Madrid or even to leave Monaco.
Arsenal have set aside at least £87.5 million (RM483 million) for his recruitment and, ironically, were in talks with the striker and his family this time last year when he was out of contact and could have signed for about £230,000 under Fifa’s compensation rules.
Arsenal hopes of persuading Mbappe to move and for Monaco to let him go rest on the longstanding relationship they have with the player and his family and their promise of rapid development under Wenger.
As previously reported, Arsenal will tell Mbappe that he would play as centre-forward and would be in the first team — which are options Real Madrid cannot guarantee. At the Bernabeu there is a danger he would be forced into wide positions and rarely feature, given that he could be competing with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.
The decisiveness with which Arsenal have approached Monaco this early with an informal bid of €100million (RM483 million) as revealed by the French paper L’Equipe last week, is an indication that chief executive Ivan Gazidis is determined the club don’t leave transfer business until the last minute, as has been the case often in the past and a sign of the changes agreed after Wenger signed a new two-year deal.
And a further shift in transfer policy, agreed by Wenger and Gazidis, is that Arsenal should attempt to use the bulk of their budget for two world-class players rather than buying five squad players.
Sead Kolasinac, the left-back who is out of contract at Schalke, is joining and Nigerian striker Henry Onyekuru, from Belgian side Eupen, will supplement the squad.
However, the intention is that any subsequent signings will be world-class players and while there are always budgetary constraints, Arsenal anticipate breaking their transfer record of £42m paid for Mesut Ozil in 2013.
Arsenal were keen to buy centre forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang last summer and now the Borussia Dortmind player has asked for a transfer. Aubameyang had been hoping to move to Real Madrid but those hopes have receded and Arsenal now believe that they may have a chance to sign him for around £60m.
Arsenal will also chase Thomas Lemar, an attacking midfielder and a Monaco teammate of Mbappe’s, though there is little chance the club would allow both to leave to join Arsenal.
The Gunners may also make inquiries for Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman, who they have retained an interest in since he was 16.
Arsenal will also consider Riyad Mahrez now that the Leicester player has said he wants to leave.
But Wenger also needs a topclass midfielder to play alongside Granit Xhaka now that Santi Cazorla has been ruled out for another eight months, effectively ruling him out for next season.
Contract negotiations with Alexis Sanchez, Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain remain a priority, with all three players out of contract next summer. Sanchez and Ozil both have offers worth around £300,000 a week once image rights are taken into account.
There is increasing confidence that Ozil will sign a new deal. Sanchez will not be allowed to move to Chelsea or Manchester City this summer and if he wants to make that move, he would have to run his contract down next season.
Arsenal also want to open talks with Oxlade-Chamberlain’s representatives and whilst they anticipate tough negotiations, they are hopeful that their new deal will persuade the England international to commit his future to the Emirates. Daily Mail