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Former Arsenal scout Gilles Grimandi reveals the Gunners tried to sign Kylian Mbappe at the age of 14 before he joined Monaco in 2013 and a transfer seemed ‘easy’ at one point
- Gilles Grimandi has revealed that Arsenal tried to sign Kylian Mbappé in 2013
- Grimandi says a deal seemed ‘easy’ at one point, but Mbappé later joined Monaco
- Former Arsenal scout Grimandi says Arsenal’s inconsistency made things difficult
Former Arsenal scout Gilles Grimandi has revealed that the Gunners tried to sign Kylian Mbappe in 2013.
Grimandi sought to reach a deal for Mbappé when the striker was just 14 and playing for AS Bondy, but ultimately decided to move to Monaco.
Reflecting on the possible deal, Grimandi stated that the transfer seemed ‘easy’ at one point, but Arsenal’s inconsistent results at the time made Mbappe consider moving elsewhere.
Now 24, Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world.
However, there was a strong chance that he would join Arsenal when he was young.
Gilles Grimandi revealed that Arsenal tried to sign Kylian Mbappé when he was 14 years old
Grimandi says a deal seemed close at one point, but Mbappé signed for Monaco instead.
grimandi said Sun: ‘The scouting job is about finding, but also about losing players. For me, it’s Kylian Mbappé. We just couldn’t 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 clubs, but then he decided on Monaco.
Arsenal weren’t always playing their best so it was quite difficult. At first it was easy, as soon as we spoke to a player I wanted to sign him.
“However, if you don’t get results, it’s hard to bring the best players to help the team.”
Despite interest from Arsenal, Mbappé ended up signing for Monaco when he left AS Bondy
Grimandi, who played for Arsenal between 1997 and 2002, said it is important to stay on top to attract quality players.
However, he praised Arsenal for developing talented players through their academy, such as Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah.
He said: ‘That’s why it’s important to stay on top for as long as possible. It’s much easier.
“However, players like Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah, who I watched develop, show that you should never forget the talent you have within your club, even in difficult times.”
After leaving AS Bondy, Mbappe joined Monaco in 2013 and made his senior debut in 2015. Arsenal also tried to sign Mbappe in 2016, with Arsene Wenger visiting his home, but PSG ended up sealing a deal.
At Monaco, Mbappé scored 27 goals in 60 appearances, while with PSG he has netted 196 goals in 243 appearances so far.
Mbappé also scored 36 goals in 66 appearances for France and played a key role in their 2018 World Cup success.