The future of Kylian Mbappe was set to become one of the big draws of the summer transfer window, even for Arsenal supporters. However, worryingly, the latest news may have more of an impact on the Gunners than they anticipated, and not for a good reason.
Arsenal will be wary of news dropping that Mbappe is more likely than ever to remain a PSG player. No, not because the Gunners had a chance to sign him, but what this meant for the potential movement and actions of other players and clubs.
Real Madrid had looked the favourites to land Mbappe. With Karim Benzema having just a year on his deal, it made sense that Los Blancos would invest in a young forward to take the position forwards and into the long-term future.
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Although, Mbappe has said a decision has not yet been made. He could still move despite the reports suggesting he is now set to stay.
“I haven’t decided about my future yet,” Mbappé said, per ESPN. “I’m cool. I want to take my time because I don’t want to get it wrong. I am thinking about it because there are new elements—lots of things, new parameters.
“[There are] a lot of parameters to take into consideration. I’m trying to figure it out with my family, so I take the right decision.”
If he is to stay, this would mean Real Madrid would need to move on to other targets and that is when Arsenal are drawn into the fray. The Gunners are looking for a striker to fill the void that will be left in the summer.
The calibre of player is up there with the most sought-after forwards across Europe. Darwin Nunez, Jonathan David and Lautaro Martinez have all been mentioned.
However, should Mbappe not make the switch to Madrid, it is possible that Arsenal will face serious competition for their targets from the Spanish capital club. The level of investment Arsenal therefore may need to put in might increase.
football.london understands that the club is preparing for a significant outlay in the summer and this will be backed by owner Stan Kroenke. However, there will be a limit to what the Gunners are capable of and adding another mega-rich suitor into the competition will only make things trickier.
Arsenal, therefore, need to ensure their planning is meticulously completed to ensure contingencies are in place. Missing out on Dusan Vlahovic was a big loss for the Gunners in January but arguably not bringing in any reinforcement to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was worse.
It could even mean Arsenal miss out on Champions League football which could close plenty of the doors to potential targets anyway. Real Madrid are one of the favourites for this year's elite European tournament and the draw to move to Los Blancos will always be the greatest in Europe.
