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Arsenal should not be afraid to settle for Kylian Mbappe alternative
Arsenal saw their £87 million offer for Kylian Mbappe rejected. While Mbappe would be a wonderful addition, they should not be afraid to settle for his teammate, Thomas Lemar.
Arsenal made a £87 million offer for Kylian Mbappe. The news came as a shock given the profile of the target, the size of the offer and the notoriously frugal behaviour of Arsene Wenger in the transfer window. And yet, the offer was indeed made. It was also rejected.
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It is likely that Monaco are, justifiably given the competition to secure his services, holding out for a world-record fee, perhaps breaking the £100 million mark for the first time in footballing history. If that is the case, it would be extremely surprising to see Arsenal be the club to break such an esteemed figure.
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The potential signing of Mbappe, while dreamy to envisage, is one that will likely fall through. Did you ever expect him to actually wind up in North London, even after the news of the remarkable bid broke? However lovely the thought, the reality was that it was never likely going to happen, and now, without a significantly improved offer, any move is dead in the water.
That means that contingency plans must be acted upon. It is fairly clear that Mbappe was Wenger’s first choice entering the window. But now that he is most probably beyond reach, that does not mean that Arsenal should retreat into their shell and simply accept the fact that they will be unable to lure a top name. There are still other options available that markedly improve the state of the squad, including Mbappe’s teammate.
It is a brave decision to accept that you have failed. But that is what Wenger must do. He must accept that he has failed to sign Mbappe and must now move onto other targets, namely, Thomas Lemar. The pacy, direct winger has been linked with a move to North London in recent days, with the latest rumours suggesting that he would be happy to play under Wenger, even without the offer of Champions League football.
Lemar, while no Mbappe, would still be an excellent signing. He would bring a willingness to drive at opposing defences, to skip by players, commit defenders and engineer space for others that has been desperately lacking this last season. His blend of quickness, agility, and then a threatening end product that must be respected, make him a dangerous winger who can both score and create on a consistent basis.
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Moreover, he has all this talent at the tender age of just 21. Lemar may not be the generational talent that Mbappe is. But that does not make him a bad player and it definitely does not make him a bad signing. Arsenal must not be afraid to settle for an Mbappe replacement.