Star French forward Kylian Mbappe is open to negotiations with Premier League club Arsenal, reports said. The 25-year-old Mbappe would "willingly join" Mikel Arteta's squad if the north London club can come up with a lucrative offer.
Mbappe, whose current contract with PSG is coming to an end, would love to become Arsenal's poster boy after fellow Frenchman Thiery Henry, the Gunners's all-time leading goalscorer.
Falling behind in the Haaland-Jude storm?
Mbappe is also concerned with the legacy he leaves behind as a professional player with the Messi-Ronaldo era coming to a close, the reports said. Despite his remarkable goal-scoring ability, Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham and Manchester City's Erling Haaland are frontrunners to become the next superstars of the footballing world. Mbappe can't be blamed if he thinks the duo is receiving more limelight because of the bigger stakes their respective clubs hold than PSG. So, a switch to the Premier League in an effort to become the next Henry is a step in the right direction to rebrand himself, Mbappe might have thought.
But what about Real Madrid?
Mbappe has been linked to a move to Real Madrid for some time now. He is expected to move to the Spanish capital when his contract with the French champions runs out. Mbappe joined PSG ranks from Monaco —- initially on loan in 2017 — for 180 million euros (now $199 million). The France star is PSG's all-time leading scorer with 233 goals and has already netted some 46 goals for Les Bleus.
But it has been frustrating at times for Mbappe at PSG, which failed to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League in the last two seasons and has scraped through to the last 16 in second place this season.
Earlier, PSG rejected an offer of 180 million euros for Mbappe in 2021 and Real missed out a year later when Mbappe — amid frenzied speculation that the Los Blancos would finally get him to join — signed a new deal with PSG in May 2022.
Mbape held aloft the PSG jersey that day with 2025 on the back. But he was reportedly annoyed because the actual deal only took him to 2024 and, while good PR for the club, it was also seen as somewhat presumptuous to expect he would sign the extension given his world renown.
Real Madrid makes fresh offer, but...
Meanwhile, Goal.com in a latest report pointed out that Kylian Mbappe recently received a reworked package from Real Madrid. However, he is not impressed by the offer, which is less lucrative than the one presented in 2022, the report added.
This brings us to the question: Can Arsenal afford to make a bid not to match, but surpass that made by the Los Blacons? Time will tell...
