Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hinted at a sensational move for Kylian Mbappe this summer.
The Paris Saint-Germain star has notified the French club that he will leave as a free agent this summer.
Real Madrid leads the fight for his signature, but Arsenal has been mentioned as a serious suitor, and Arteta believes the Gunners should always be in the running for players of Mbappe’s calibre.
“When there is a player of that calibre, we always have to be in that conversation,” Arteta told his pre-match press conference on Friday.
“But it looks in a different way; that’s what I would say.”
Mbappe appears to be heading to Real Madrid following an eight-year saga.
The Frenchman began talks with the La Liga club immediately after making his Monaco debut in the 2015/16 season.
Mbappe’s transfer to the Bernabeu fell through, and he instead signed for hometown club Paris Saint-Germain for £153 million.
Despite having spent his whole career in Ligue 1, the forward has emerged as one of the world’s most prominent players.
The Frenchman won the World Cup with France, scoring in the final in a 4-2 victory over Croatia.