Arteta: Arsenal’ll be in conversation to sign Mbappe

Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, says the club would be in the conversation to sign PSG forward, Kylian Mbappe, when his contract expires this summer.

Mbappe told PSG this week that he will leave the club at the end of this season, with the French club expecting the forward to join Real Madrid once the terms of his exit are finalised.

The 25-year-old forward has also been linked to the Premier League and Arteta said Arsenal need to be involved in discussions to sign the player.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday ahead of Saturday’s trip to Burnley, the Arsenal manager, however, acknowledged that Mbappe is likely to join Real Madrid.

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

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“But it looks in a different way, that’s what I would say.”

Arsenal were strongly linked with a new striker in the January transfer window – with Brentford’s Ivan Toney one of the names mentioned as an option.

The 28-year-old striker opted to stay at Brentford until the end of the season, though Bees boss, Thomas Frank, admits a summer sale of Toney is likely.

PSG and Mbappe – who is out of contract this summer – still need to negotiate whether Mbappe will leave for a fee or sacrifice his own earnings. PSG have Mbappe’s word that he will never leave on a free transfer.

Real Madrid hold a long-term interest in the 25-year-old forward, who would have to take a pay cut to join the Spanish side, even though they are prepared to make him the highest-paid player in their history.

PSG turned down a €220 million (£188 million) offer for Mbappe from Real Madrid in August 2021. The forward then chose to sign a new three-year deal with PSG that expires this summer.

If Mbappe were to extend his deal by a further year, PSG would value him at €150 million (£128 million) in the upcoming transfer window. They accepted €300 million (£256 million) from Saudi club Al Hilal last summer, which Mbappe turned down.

The Star