Gilles Grimandi, a former Arsenal scout, has made a revelation.
He revealed how close the Gunners came to signing Paris-Saint Germain forward Kylian Mbappe as a teenager.
Mbappe, who is arguably one of the best forwards in the world, moved to PSG from fellow Ligue 1 club Monaco in an €180 million move back in 2018.
The 24-year-old started his career in the youth team of AS Bondy before moving to Monaco’s academy in 2013 but he could have ended up at Arsenal before making that switch, according to Grimandi.
“The job of scouting is about finding but also missing players. For me, it’s Kylian Mbappe. We just could not convince him,” Grimandi told The Sun.
“He was out of contract in June 2013 and we met him in February. If we could’ve convinced him to join, he would’ve changed the club – but he then decided on Monaco.
“Arsenal weren’t always playing their best, so it was quite complicated. At first, it was easy, but as soon as we talked to a player, he wanted to sign it.
“However, if you’re not getting results, it’s difficult to bring top players to help the team.
“That is why it’s important to stay at the top for as long as possible. It’s so much easier.”
