Arsenal Officially Have To Sign Kylian Mbappe
By Josh Sippie
Arsenal will always be tied to young French wonderkids, but there are few that seem like must-haves. Kylian Mbappe is one of those must haves.
The next Thierry Henry comes around every couple months. Danny Welbeck was once the next Henry, then it was Anthony Martial, now it is Kylian Mbappe. But Mbappe may have the most legitimacy to the claim. The 17 year old Frenchman recently broke Henry’s record of being the youngest player to ever score for Monaco.
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It is not the most renowned record in the world, but if you break a record held by the King, you at least get invited to his court. Then, all you need is a little bit of subterfuge, some impressive performances and a few underhand tactics and you’re the king yourself (Game of Thrones taught me this).
Mbappe’s contract runs up at the end of the year and it is unclear what his intentions are. For Monaco to run it this close was a bit odd given the mass of teams that were in on the Frenchman, from the likes of Real Madrid to our very own Arsenal.
However, given Arsenal’s knack for wonderkids, particularly French ones, it only makes sense that they have to be the go-to for young Mbappe.
And yet, we are told that Mbappe has been offered a contract (via ESPNFC). With a contract that runs up at the end of the season, it was only a matter of time. Somewhat confusingly, another report, from earlier than the ESPN one, claims that Mbappe has already turned down the contract, as he clearly has no interest in remaining at Monaco. This report is from a source in France, as reported by the Metro.
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Whatever the case, Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev has delivered some statements on the contract situation, saying that a contract has been offered and that, while he is aware of the interest from other teams, he also doubts those big clubs’ ability to give Mbappe ample playing time.
Of course, what Vasilyev fails to understand is that Arsenal can offer Mbappe an excellent opportunity for playing time. Ask Hector Bellerin or Aaron Ramsey or Francis Coquelin. Hell, ask Yaya Sanogo. Arsenal will give you a chance. It is just up to you to take it. Even Akpom would have had his shot if he hadn’t elected to go out on loan.
It is pretty well established that behind Olivier Giroud there is just this massive opening for someone to take. Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott are in prime positions to take it, but Walcott is falling out of the race while Welbeck has yet to be reestablished in the striker role. After then there sits Chuba Akpom and Donyell Malen.
Both youngsters are fantastic talents but they have proven nothing yet. Mbappe would fit right in.
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Anyone who breaks a record set by Thierry Henry needs to hop on over to Arsenal. It’s an unwritten rule of the footballing world.