Gilles Grimandi recalls Arsenal’s near-miss move for teenage Kylian Mbappe

Arsenal came close to signing Kylian Mbappe before the forward had made his breakthrough at Monaco, with former Gunners defender Gilles Grimandi recalling meetings with the player and his family when he was 17.

Arsenal’s early move for Mbappe

Mbappe was still outside Monaco’s senior side when Arsenal explored a deal, despite Arsene Wenger’s long-standing knowledge of French football. Grimandi, who played for both Monaco and Arsenal, said the club had been alerted to the teenager’s potential and held encouraging talks with his representatives.

Grimandi said Arsenal officials visited Mbappe’s home and spoke to his parents, adding that he believed an agreement was within reach when they left.

“We were extremely close to bringing him in at 17,” Grimandi said. “We met Kylian at home and met his parents. I honestly felt it was settled when we walked away, but within six months he was flying with Monaco.”

Mbappe’s rapid rise soon took him beyond Arsenal’s reach. He became a leading figure for France, established himself as Paris Saint-Germain’s record scorer and later joined Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2024 after the Spanish club’s lengthy pursuit.

A French connection at the Emirates

Arsenal’s history with elite French players remains a reason why a future move to north London is still discussed, even if Grimandi does not expect it to happen while Mbappe is at Real Madrid.

• Arsene Wenger managed Arsenal from 1996 to 2018 and built several title-winning sides around French internationals.
• Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires, Emmanuel Petit, Sylvain Wiltord and Olivier Giroud are among the prominent French names to play for the club.
• William Saliba is the current senior France international in Arsenal’s squad.
• Grimandi believes Mbappe understands the club’s French heritage and its place in the wider story of the game.

Grimandi said Mbappe has retained an affinity with Arsenal because of the contact made so early in his career. However, he stressed that a transfer from Madrid to the Gunners is difficult to envisage.

“There is a connection because Arsenal have known him for such a long time,” he said. “But he is at Real Madrid now, and I cannot picture a player leaving Madrid for Arsenal.”

Madrid’s key man and Arsenal’s hypothetical fit

Real Madrid are not expected to consider selling their No. 10. Mbappe has scored 97 times in 114 appearances for the club, although Madrid have gone without major trophies in each of the past two seasons.

The France captain is pursuing both Champions League success and the Ballon d’Or, ambitions that will shape any discussion around his future. Grimandi acknowledged reports of criticism in France concerning Mbappe’s attitude, but described him as the country’s outstanding player and pointed to his scoring record at World Cups and in Spain.

Asked whether Arsenal’s style could suit Mbappe if he ever moved to the Premier League, Grimandi said it could, while warning that managing a player of his stature would bring challenges.

“Certainly, Arsenal could suit him,” he said. “But he is not an easy player to integrate, as is often the case with the very biggest talents such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. They are so focused on their own performance that it can make the wider team picture more complicated.”

Grimandi nevertheless believes Arsenal’s football, history and French links would give the club a credible appeal. For now, though, Mbappe remains central to Real Madrid’s plans, making any revival of Arsenal’s long-abandoned interest a remote prospect.