Arsenal linked to £95m Mbappe bid as Wenger admits admiration

Arsenal are reported to have upped their bid to sign Monaco sensation Kylian Mbappe to a staggering £95million.

The 18-year-old striker shot to fame this season as the Principality side won the Ligue 1 title and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.

And after scoring 26 goals in all competitions, Mbappe has found himself the subject of reported interest from the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid.

However, French newspaper L’Equipe last week reported that it was Arsenal who had made the first serious move for the player with a £87million approach for the teenager rejected by Monaco.

And now the Daily Express claims Arsenal have contacted Monaco with an improved bid of £95million – a deal which would shatter the world record £89.3million fee Manchester United paid Juventus for Paul Pogba last summer.

France boss Didier Deschamps has warned Mbappe to go to a club which will play him and manage his career carefully.

And Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, speaking in an interview with BeIn Sports, has added fuel to the fire by admitting the teenager is well worth his reported £100million asking price.

Wenger said: “Where do you think he might finish? Somewhere where he has a good chance to play and is sure to play. That is why I think Deschamps made that statement.

“He thinks that he needs to play but I would say as well on the other hand that the boy has made enough impression to be basically sure a club who spends a 100 million for you is basically to make at the start at least the red carpet.

“Nobody will buy a player for a 100 million and say, “Come on, sit in the stands.”

Mbappe a future Ballon d’Or winner

Wenger also believes Mbappe has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or in the coming years and believes he will find t hard to resist the lure of leaving Monaco.

“To resist the attraction of the big clubs for Monaco and for the player is of course is as well difficult but I can understand that statement, it’s defendable,” Wenger added.

“You have Neymar (for the Ballon d’Or) in there certainly, maybe Griezmann can come in, you have Mbappe.

“You have the generation now between 24 (years-old) and 28 who should come in next. Mbappe is 18 so that will last a bit longer, a bit too early, too premature to say that he will do that but, yes, you have these kind of players. You have Ousmane Dembele, who I believe is an exceptional talent. These kind of players.”