Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that the Gunners will try and sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.

It has been revealed that the France international will leave PSG on a free transfer at the end of the season and, asked whether the Gunners would consider making an offer for the player, Arteta said:

“When there is a player of that calibre we always have to be in the conversation. But as you said it looks in a different way.”

As Arteta mentions, Arsenal are not the favourites to sign Mbappe at the moment, with Real Madrid thought to be in pole position for his signature.

However, there has been speculation over the last week that the Spanish giants are struggling to agree personal terms with the 25-year-old which could allow other clubs to get involved in the race for his services.

Do Arsenal have a realistic chance of signing Mbappe?

It has been claimed that the Frenchman would be keen on a move to the Emirates in order to follow in the footsteps of his mentor Thierry Henry.

However, the big stumbling block to any move going ahead is Mbappe’s salary. He is currently on £1.2m a week at PSG, which is more than four times higher than the Gunners’ current highest earner Kai Havertz.

Mikel Arteta’s side would have to smash their wage structure if they wanted to sign the forward.

Mbappe is a world-class player

Some will rightly argue that it is worth Arsenal breaking the bank for the striker. He has been in outstanding form this season, having scored 31 goals in 30 games so far.

Mbappe is about to hit the prime of his career as well so, if Arsenal were to snap him up, he would be giving the club his best years. It’s a mouthwatering prospect.