Arsenal have seen some glorious talent grace north London over the years, with Mikel Arteta’s current crop proving to be the real deal.
The Spaniard’s young side put up a fight last season to register themselves as challengers for the Premier League title, finishing second in the league and registering their first finish in the top four in six years.
With Champions League football in the bag, the Gunners will have more difficult challenges ahead, but will go to battle with a squad filled with talent as expected for a club of their stature.
The high level of performance on the pitch was merited by a strong summer of business by Arteta and Edu, who welcomed four new faces to north London, spending over £200m on their acquisitions.
After missing out on former targets Mykhaylo Mudryk and Moises Caicedo to Chelsea this year, it was imperative that Edu landed the club’s number one summer target in Declan Rice.
The former West Ham United captain arrived at the Emirates in a record £105m deal, telling of the turning tides at the club after years of notoriously missing out on targets due to reluctance to spend.
From the failed £40m + £1 bid for Luis Suarez to the January rejected bids for Caicedo, Arsenal have missed out on some top talent as much as they’ve obtained it, with not many names being a miss as agonising as one in particular.
Did Arsenal nearly sign Kylian Mbappe?
Rewind to 2017, French starlet Kylian Mbappe was the talk of the summer, as the widely renowned winger decided to join Paris Saint Germain on an initial loan spell from Monaco.
It was later revealed that Arsenal could have signed the forward for free, prior to him extending his contract with Monaco.
When speaking to beIN Sports, relayed by the Independent, former manager Arsene Wenger told of how he underwent talks with the young talent over a potential move to north London.
“I was at his home when he was undecided whether to extend his contract with Monaco. He could have come to Arsenal for free.”
It’s an admirable, but painful admission by Wenger, with hindsight being a powerful thing when considering the phenomenon that Mbappe has become since that year.
Fast-forward to this summer, and there was some talk that the World Cup winner could be in for a move to England as his contract at PSG nears expiration, with the Mirror listing Arsenal as one of the clubs interested – while the Independent noted that the Gunners would be his preferred Premier League destination.
Such talk was partially dismissed when revising the financial demands that would come with signing one of the best players in the world, however the link between the Gunners and the French sensation resurfaced from the days of Wenger.
What is Mbappe’s market value?
Valued by CIES Football Observatory at €200m (£171m), Mbappe is undoubtedly one of the poster boys for world football.
At just 24 years old, the former Monaco whiz is a World Champion and six-time Ligue 1 winner, alongside his extensive list of personal accolades picked up in his formidable career so far.
To think that a talent as bright and significant as Mbappe could have joined Arsenal for £0 is astounding, with the club living to tell the tale of what could have been had Wenger convinced him years ago.
At the time of the Invincibles manager’s discussions, the Paris-born maestro was in far greater reach, earning around £18.5k-per-week, which quickly rose to £292k-per-week at the point of his improved contract with Monaco.
Now, the Frenchman earns a staggering £1.1m-per-week for PSG, equating to £61.5m a year in salary alone, figures far beyond the means of Arsenal today.
Why is he worth so much?
There’s a reason for the prizes Mbappe has won so far in his career, with that reason being the contribution that his presence alone brings to his side.
In 328 recorded domestic appearances, the 24-year-old has had a hand in 365 goals, figures expected by the likes of former European machines 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
Figures via Transfermarkt
Once lauded as “unstoppable” by Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, the praise fits his on-field persona, terrorising defenders every time he’s on the ball.
The winger’s talents translate to being on a different level to his peers, with Messi branding his former teammate as “incredible” after his hat trick in the 2022 World Cup final.
In the 2016/17 Ligue 1 season, the generational talent burst onto the scene on the back of his debut in the competition, where he marked his first 11 appearances for Monaco in 2015/16.
At 17, the winger netted 15 goals and provided 11 assists in just 29 Ligue 1 appearances in his breakthrough season, signalling to the world that he would become the next big thing in world football.
Since that year, the phenomenon has scored a further 153 league goals representing PSG, including a career high of 33 goals in the 2018/19 term in Ligue 1, making him one of the most frightening forwards in the world.
What could he have offered to Arsenal?
The numbers and excitement that Mbappe brings to the stage is attractive to every club in the world.
Like Messi in his prime, he would walk into any side in Europe with ease at just 24, telling of what Arsenal could have had if things went differently during Wenger’s conversation.
What Mbappe could have brought to north London is what players in the calibre of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp handed to Wenger, with both placing themselves in Arsenal folklore for their contributions over the years.
Such quality wins titles and brings the fear factor – it’s evident through Pep Guardiola’s capture of Erling Haaland, who scored 52 goals in 53 appearances during his debut season last term.
The striker fired Manchester City to becoming treble winners, in a way that showcased just how far the signing of an unquestionable, generational talent can get you.
Arsenal could have had such success if Mbappe had joined before hitting his prime, however it’s a near miss that the Gunners will have to live with, as the World Champion continues to dominate the scene in style.