Arsenal: Has the time and price to give up on Kylian Mbappe?

Monaco are continuing to hold firm over Kylian Mbappe, reportedly demanding €130 million for his services. Has the time and price come for Arsenal to give up on the 18-year-old starlet?

As Arsenal entered the summer transfer window under a cloud of uncertainty and controversy after Arsene Wenger, despite the growing calls from fans not to, signed a new two-year deal to extend his stay in North London, one thing has become increasingly clear: a new striker is on its way.

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Wenger actually began his search for a new centre-forward last summer. After becoming frustrated with the inconsistencies and the restricting style of Olivier Giroud, Wenger was intent on finding a more dynamic, athletic option to lead the line.

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His ventures began with a £20 million bid for Jamie Vardy, which the Leicester City striker rejected amid stylistic concerns, progressed with a spurned £29 million bid for Alexandre Lacazette, persisted with relentless rumours proposing Gonzalo Higuain and Alvaro Morata as possible options, and ended by settling for Lucas Perez in a £17 million, only for the Spaniard to suffer a frustrating first season during which he was hardly used.

Because of the disappointments that Wenger has found in Perez, rightly or wrongly, he is now on the quest for another striker, with Kylian Mbappe his main priority. The wonderfully gifted 18-year-old rocketed onto the scene during the latter half of the season, firing Monaco to the Ligue 1 title, showcasing an ability to consistently score goals, complimented by a number of sensational performances in the Champions League, scoring goals against Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus in the process.

A club-record £87 million bid was made earlier in the summer, which Monaco duly rejected, but there is still an intense interest from Wenger as he hopes to overcome Real Madrid in the chase for Europe’s hottest property.

But recent reports suggest that Monaco are set to be even harder on Arsenal, demanding €130 million for his services. Given the time that it would take to complete any deal, and the substantial cost of that deal also, are we now reaching a point where it would be better for the Gunners to abandon their Mbappe pursuit and turn to alternative options?

Mbappe may well be the best player that is available to sign this summer, but, eventually, realism must take the wheel. What cannot be doubted is that there is a great need for a striker, even if that means compromising on the quality of that striker.

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That does not mean that they should simply sign any player they can. But there are other options that could be explored, and if such options are scuppered due to holding onto false hope regarding Mbappe, then that would be extremely sad and frustrating.