Football

Arsene Wenger: 'Kylian Mbappe will find it tough to resist big club'

Arsene Wenger tips Kylian Mbappe to challenge for the Ballon d'Or award and insists that the youngster will unlikely stay at AS Monaco if a big-money offer is made.
By , Football League Correspondent
Filed:
Updated: Monday, June 5, 2017 at 22:49 UK

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has claimed that Kylian Mbappe will find it "difficult" to resist the urge of leaving AS Monaco this summer if a big-money bid is made.

The Gunners are one of a number of European sides said to be interested in signing the 18-year-old, who burst onto the scene this season with 26 goals for the Ligue 1 champions.

Mbappe's valuation has reportedly shot up to the £100m mark, with Arsenal rumoured to be willing to offer something close to that nine-figure sum, but national team boss Didier Deschamps has warned the youngster to only join a team that will play him regularly.

Wenger has admitted to being an admirer of Mbappe, tipping him to challenge for the Ballon d'Or in the future.

"Where do you think he might finish? Somewhere where he has a good chance to play and is sure to play," he told beIN Sports. "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.' 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 [from Deschamps], it's defendable.

"You have Neymar [for the Ballon d'Or] in there certainly, maybe [Antoine] Griezmann can come in, you have Mbappe. You have the generation now between 24 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."

The current transfer record fee is held by Paul Pogba, who returned to Manchester United from Juventus last summer for £89m.

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