Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger revealed he failed in a bid to sign a player he himself has compared to Thierry Henry.
Monaco teenager Kylian Mbappe become his club’s youngest-ever goalscorer in February 2016 when he netted against Troyes at the age of 17 years and 62 days, beating Henry in the process.
This season, Mbappe has scored seven goals in 21 games in all competitions, and made three substitute appearances in the Champions League.
In 2016, he also scored seven goals in eight games for France Under-19s, although drew a blank against an England side containing Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles last July.
Wenger has made no secret of the fact he is monitoring Mbappe, telling the Ligue 1 Show: “We follow him and we know him very well.”
And speaking at a press conference ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Chelsea this weekend, Wenger confirmed he had tried luring Mbappe to the Emirates last year.
“It was at stake last season but he decided to stay where he was,” Wenger said.
“[There are] similarities to Thierry Henry – he’s from the Caribbean as well [Henry has Antillean heritage], he has a huge talent, he plays for Monaco.
“After that, what makes a career is the mental aspect that Thierry had.
“This young boy has to show that he has similar qualities on the mental front.”