"He would have changed the club" - Arsenal great reveals Gunners nearly signed PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe

Former Arsenal player and scout Gilles Grimandi has revealed that the club came close to signing Kylian Mbappe in 2013. However, the move did not go through and the French forward joined AS Monaco instead.

Then, at just 14 years and representing the Clairefontaine youth side, Mbappe was of interest to Arsenal. Grimandi, who won two Premier League titles with the north London side, was with the club as a scout until 2019. He was heavily involved in the process of identifying Mbappe as a future star.

Arsenal did make a formal approach for the player but he eventually chose Monaco. As per Grimandi, the club's on-field results weren't too good at the time and that might have affected their pursuit of the now-Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star.

Identifying the need to stay at the top to lure the best players, he told The Sun:

“The job of scouting is about finding but also missing players. For me, it is Kylian Mbappe. We just could not convince him. He was out of contract in June 2013 and we met him in February. If we could have convinced him to join, he would have changed the club — but he then decided on Monaco.

“Arsenal were not always playing their best so it was quite complicated. At first, it was easy, as soon as we talked to a player he wanted to sign it. However, if you are not getting results it is difficult to bring top players to help the team.

“That’s why it is important to stay at the top for as long as possible. It is so much easier.”

Mbappe has since gone on to become one of the best players in the world. Currently plying his trade for PSG, he won the FIFA World Cup in 2018 with France. The 24-year-old subsequently took them to the final of the 2022 edition as well, only to lose out to his club teammate Lionel Messi.

The Gunners, on the other hand, are currently top of the Premier League table, five points ahead of second-placed Manchester City, with a game in hand.

Former Arsenal scout highlights need to promote club's youth players

Arsenal's rise to the top has been fueled by youngsters like Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and recently Eddie Nketiah. Two of these players were rising through the ranks at the club while Grimandi was there.

Arsenal's young attack is locked in for the future:

▪️ Martinelli (21, 📝 2027)
▪️ Saka (21, in contract talks)
▪️ Ødegaard (24, 📝 2025)
▪️ Jesus (25, 📝 2027)
▪️ Nketiah (23, 📝 2027)
▪️ Smith Rowe (22, 📝 2026)
▪️ Balogun (21, 📝 2025)
▪️ Marquinhos (19, 📝 2026)

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The Frenchman highlighted the importance of a strong youth setup, saying:

“The likes of Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah, who I watched develop, prove you should never forget the talent you have inside your club, even in difficult times.”