Arsenal and Kylian Mbappe: Just don’t even start

Kylian Mbappe has cast doubt over his Paris Saint-Germain future. But that gives no one the excuse to start the wild Mbappe-to-Arsenal rumours.

It was two years ago that Arsenal nearly signed Kylian Mbappe. Since that time, Mbappe has won a World Cup, two Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain, the team he moved to instead of the Gunners, and most recently been named Ligue 1 Player of the Year. The team he nearly joined, meanwhile, well, the less said the better.

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This week, Mbappe has cast doubt over his future at PSG, where he has since established himself as one of the brightest talents in a generation. Speaking when accepting his Ligue 1 Player of the Year award, Mbappe said:

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"“I have discovered a lot here, and I feel it is perhaps the moment to have more responsibility. I hope that can maybe be at Paris St Germain, that would be a great pleasure. Or perhaps elsewhere with a new project.”"

It is hardly a guarantee that he wants to move, but it does not exactly shut the door on a potential exit either. In the aftermath of these comments, Arsenal manager Unai Emery, who signed Mbappe and managed him for a season at PSG, was asked about how the initial transfer was completed:

"“It was a big effort from all of us. I spoke to him and to his father about him coming to PSG, because he wanted to choose Madrid. He was clear. There was also the option of Barcelona, but we succeeded in getting him to come, telling him it was a project of France. Although PSG also took care of the financial details.”"

With all this now out in the open, I fear that the obvious is going to happen: Arsenal are going to be linked with a sensational move for Mbappe. Thankfully, I have not seen any such rumours, but it would not surprise me if there are some completely ridiculous and ambitious articles written later this summer just to get hits.

You do not need me to tell you that Mbappe is not coming to the Emirates anytime soon, at least not playing for the home team, anyway. There may be links with the head coach, a prior approach from the club, which seemingly endeared Mbappe to the Gunners and vice-versa, and apparent interest from the player to leave, but there are a million reasons why this is never going to happen.

So, as a public service announcement, don’t even start thinking about it. Don’t tweet about it. Don’t talk about it in the pub. Don’t respond to the Sun’s articles claiming that the Kroenkes are going to make special arrangements and dip their hands in their pockets to sign him. Just don’t bother.

Mbappe is not coming to Arsenal. This, perhaps more than anything else, is why I really do hate the transfer season.