Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe is reportedly open to the possibility of joining Arsenal this summer.
The 25-year-old has spent the last six-and-a-half years at the Parc de Princes and has scored a club-record 242 goals in 289 appearances across all competitions.
Mbappe, widely regarded as one of the best players in world football, has also won 13 trophies with PSG, including five Ligue 1 titles, as well as a plethora of individual accolades.
However, Mbappe – as has been the case for the last few years – is the subject of intense transfer speculation as his PSG contract is due to expire in just over four months' time.
Real Madrid have been consistently linked with a move for Mbappe having previously tried and failed to lure the Frenchman to the Santiago Bernabeu.
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Los Blancos are known to be in the market for a new centre-forward after allowing Karim Benzema to leave the club last summer, and Mbappe is believed to be their primary target.
It is widely thought that Mbappe would be interested in making the move to Real Madrid, while La Liga president Javier Tebas recently stated that the chances of the 2018 World Cup winner moving to the Spanish capital are increasing.
However, according to The Independent, Premier League title challengers Arsenal are another club who Mbappe 'would willingly join' if the opportunity arises this summer.
The report adds that the prospect of following in the footsteps of France and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry by moving to the Emirates Stadium appeals to Mbappe.
Henry began his senior career at Monaco, like Mbappe, and initially moved to Juventus before joining Arsenal, where he scored 228 goals in 377 games and won six trophies across two spells at the club.
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However, it is thought that the Gunners are not prepared to break their financial strategy to lure Mbappe to the red side of North London, seemingly handing Real Madrid an advantage in the race for his signature.
Arsenal forked out in excess of £200m on four new signings last summer, most notably recruiting midfielder Declan Rice for a club-record £105m from West Ham United.
Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya also moved to the Emirates, but Mikel Arteta was unable to strengthen his squad in January as Arsenal continue to work within the constraints of Financial Fair Play regulations.
Funds should be available to spend this summer, though, and the addition of a new centre-forward is believed to be high on Arsenal's agenda.
The likes of Brentford's Ivan Toney and Napoli's Victor Osimhen have been linked with a move to the Gunners, although both strikers are valued in the region of £100m.
Oliver Thomas
