Arsenal: Wenger could have signed him for £0 now his price tag is £171m
Mikel Arteta’s current crop of players at Arsenal are proving to be the genuine deal. Over the years, Arsenal have seen some magnificent talent grace north London.
Last season, the youthful squad coached by the Spaniard finished second in the league and in the top four for the first time in six years, establishing themselves as title contenders in the Premier League.
With Champions League football secured, the Gunners will face more difficult challenges in the future, but they will do so with a talented squad befitting a club of their stature.
Arteta and Edu welcomed four new players to north London during the summer and spent over £200 million on their acquisitions, which contributed to the high level of performance on the field.
After losing Mykhaylo Mudryk and Moises Caicedo to Chelsea this year, it was imperative that Edu sign the club’s top summer target, Declan Rice.
The former West Ham United captain arrived at the Emirates in a record £105m deal, telling of the turning winds at the club after years of notoriously missing out on targets due to reluctance to spend.
From the failed £40 million plus one pound bid for Luis Suarez to the January rejected bids for Caicedo, Arsenal have missed out on top talent as often as they’ve acquired it, with one name in particular being a particularly agonizing error.
Was Arsenal close to signing Kylian Mbappe?
In the summer of 2017, the renowned French winger Kylian Mbappe decided to join Paris Saint-Germain on loan from Monaco. He was the talk of the footballing world.
Later, it was disclosed that Arsenal could have signed the forward for nothing prior to his contract extension with Monaco.
Former manager Arsene Wenger disclosed to beIN Sports, as reported by the Independent, that he had discussions with the young player regarding a possible transfer to north London.
“I was at his residence when he was debating whether or not to extend his contract with Monaco. He could have joined Arsenal without cost.”
It is an admirable but painful admission by Wenger, considering the phenomenon that Mbappe has become since that year. Hindsight is a potent thing.
As the World Cup champion’s contract at PSG nears expiration this summer, there has been speculation that he may move to England, with the Mirror listing Arsenal as one of the clubs interested and the Independent noting that the Gunners would be his preferred Premier League destination.
The link between the Gunners and the French sensation resurfaced from Wenger’s era, despite the fact that such rumors were largely disregarded when the financial demands of signing one of the world’s greatest players were reevaluated.
What is the market value of Mbappe?
Mbappe, who the CIES Football Observatory values at €200 million (£171 million), is unquestionably one of the faces of global football.
The former Monaco wizard, who is only 24 years old, is a World Champion and a six-time Ligue 1 champion, in addition to his lengthy list of personal accolades accumulated thus far in his illustrious career.
It is astonishing to consider that a player of Mbappe’s caliber and significance could have joined Arsenal for nothing, with the club still able to tell the tale of what might have been had Wenger persuaded him years ago.
At the time of the Invincibles manager’s discussions, the Paris-born maestro was earning approximately £18.5k per week, which soon increased to £292k per week upon signing a new contract with Monaco.
Now, the Frenchman earns an astronomical £1.1 million per week for PSG, which equates to £61.5 million per year in salary alone, a sum far beyond Arsenal’s means.
Why is he so valuable?
There is a reason why Mbappe has won so many awards thus far in his career, and that reason is the contribution that his mere presence provides to his team.
The 24-year-old has assisted on 365 goals in 328 domestic appearances, surpassing the numbers of former European superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Kylian Mbappe Ligue 1 record
| Season | Club | Apps | Goals | Assists |
| 2015/16 | Monaco | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 2016/17 | Monaco | 29 | 15 | 11 |
| 2017/18 | PSG | 27 | 13 | 7 |
| 2018/19 | PSG | 29 | 33 | 9 |
| 2019/20 | PSG | 20 | 18 | 7 |
| 2020/21 | PSG | 31 | 27 | 7 |
| 2021/22 | PSG | 35 | 28 | 19 |
| 2022/23 | PSG | 34 | 29 | 6 |
| 2023/24 TBC | PSG | 3 | 5 | 0 |
Arsenal: Wenger could have signed him for £0 now his price tag is £171m