If reports are to be believed, Arsenal are plotting a mammoth £125 million for their long-term target Kylian Mbappe as Arsene Wenger looks to bring further reinforcements in the attacking front. Premier League has shifted a major gear last season with big clubs like Manchester City, Manchester United all gunning for instant success next year, and the inflated transfer market isn’t going to stop them anytime soon.
Wenger has reportedly closed the deal for AS Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette of late and one or more players are expected to arrive this summer. Wenger had previously revealed his plans to clear out some players that would free their wage structure in order to make way for the big arrivals this season and the process, although delayed, seems to have finally started.
Arsenal are known to be a huge admirer of the 18-year-old, but the amount of money reported by the publication is very un-Arsenal like, to say the least. The North London club will see their £43.8 million bid for Lacazette be their highest till date, which reflects Wenger’s frugal-mindedness in transfer markets over the years.
And if the Gunners are willing to pay the fee for Mbappe, then one can be pretty sure that the Frenchman sees the Monaco striker as a sure shot success in the coming years. And it would pretty much mean Alexis Sanchez leaving the Emirates.
Mbappe’s talent is undeniable as the striker has exhibited in Ligue 1 last season scoring 15 goals and assisting 11 times in 29 games. Since breaking into the first team in 2015, Mbappe has 27 goals and 16 assists in 58 games for the Ligue 1 Champions, and Wenger has every reason to believe he could match the potential of Thierry Henry soon.
Although many are of the opinion that the player is hugely overrated, the fact that Wenger is willing to pay the price for him only challenges those claims. The French manager is known to bring at Emirates some of the best talents across Europe in Henry, Nicolas Anelka, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Ashley Cole and more, for really cut-price deals and Mbappe could, after all, be the value that Monaco is asking for.
And given the shrewd businessman that Wenger is, he surely has other plans to recoup the amount for the striker, and their apparent willingness to sell Sanchez for a whopping £70 million could be a major part of it. Apart from the striking reinforcements, Arsenal really have a complete side with some of the best players in the midfield and defence and the investment is surely worth making.
