Tottenham’s Role in Arsenal Missing Out on Kylian Mbappe
Arsenal’s Missed Opportunity
In 2016, Arsenal had the chance to sign Kylian Mbappe from Monaco, but they ultimately missed out on the superstar. At the time, Mbappe was just 17 years old and relatively unknown.
Credit: Rex Features
The Arsenal Approach
Arsenal’s former scout, Gilles Grimandi, revealed that the club had discussions with Mbappe and his parents about joining the team. Mbappe even visited the Arsenal training ground, and Arsene Wenger personally traveled to meet him in his hometown.
Timing Issues
However, the deal never materialized, partly due to unfortunate timing. The club was preoccupied with a North London derby against Tottenham in March 2016, which affected their focus on signing Mbappe.
Grimandi explained, “We tried to convince him before. We met his parents in London who came to the training ground, and alongside Arsene and Richard Law, we traveled to meet Kylian in the South of France. But I don’t think it was the best time for us. That meeting took place the day after we had just lost to Swansea at home in the league, which followed a defeat at Old Trafford. We also had a big game away against Tottenham just three days later, so the timing was not ideal. We tried, and I really don’t think we were far from getting him, but he declined the project and signed a new deal with Monaco.”
Past Attempts
This wasn’t the first time Grimandi had tried to sign Mbappe. He previously attempted to bring him to Arsenal when he was just 14 years old, but was unsuccessful in convincing him to join.
Mbappe’s Decision
Mbappe later admitted that he was tempted to move to Arsenal and play under Wenger. However, he ultimately decided that staying in France and joining Monaco was the best decision for his long-term development.
He said, “I met with Arsene Wenger, who is a great coach. He has a great reputation here in France, he’s well-respected and knows how to develop young players. This was a real option for me. We weighed up the advantages and disadvantages of all the clubs, but my family told me it had to be my decision and one I needed to make. It also had to be a long-term decision. So it was up to me, and I decided to come here in order to develop.”