Mikel Arteta hints Arsenal have held talks to sign Kylian Mbappe

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hinted the North London club have held talks over a sensational move to sign Kylian Mbappé at the end of the season, in an interview with the Guardian.

Mbappé has informed Paris Saint-Germain that he will leave the club as a free agent in the summer. Clubs like Real Madrid are reportedly leading the race to secure his services.

The Spanish giants are widely expected to sign Mbappe, however, Arteta has suggested that Arsenal are in the ‘conversation’ to land the French superstar. 

The Spanish manager went on to hint that Director Edu and the clubs owners may have already held talks over a sensational move to sign Mbappe, but insists he’s not been involved in any conversations [yet].

“When there is a player of that calibre we always have to be in the conversation,” Arteta said.

Regarding talks to sign about Mbappé, he replied: “I am not! Maybe Edu [the sporting director] and the owners are [in talks], but I am not in those conversations until the last stage.”

It will be interesting to see how the situation develops but Arsenal fans will be buoyed by the suggestion that the club were ambitious enough to even attempt to sign a player like Mbappe. 

Mbappe would take Arsenal to another level

Mbappé is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world and he has already helped his country win the World Cup in 2018. He will look to win the major trophies at club level now. He has not been able to win the UEFA Champions League title with PSG and he will feel that a move to a club like Real Madrid could help him win the coveted prize in club football.

Meanwhile, Arsenal could certainly use an elite goalscorer like Mbappé, who is versatile enough to operate anywhere across the front three. Gabriel Jesus has had a mediocre campaign so far and he has scored just four goals in the league. Arsenal need better players at their disposal if they want to win league titles and compete for the Champions League trophy.

Mbappé has 31 goals and seven assists in 30 appearances across all competitions this season and he is a proven goalscorer for club and country. He could transform Arsenal in the final third. Signing a player of his ability on a free transfer would be a major coup as well.

However, as exciting as it sounds, any move to the Emirates is still highly unlikely at this stage and Mbappe is expected to join Madrid this summer.