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How Arsenal missed out on Mbappe signing in 2013

Arsenal
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The Gunners held talks with Mbappe before his move to Monaco.

Arsenal failed to convince Kylian Mbappe to join the club due to their dip in form, reveals former scout Gilles Grimandi.

Grimandi, who won two Premier League with the Gunners between 1997 and 2002, began his job as Arsenal’s France-based scout in 2006. 

Until 2019, Grimandi introduced a number of young talents to Arsenal’s hierarchy. Mbappe was a player who came under the former scout’s radar back in 2013.

The French forward was spending the final months of his youth contract at Clairef. But the Gunners were not able to convince him with their transfer offer.

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Speaking to The Sun, Grimandi said: “The job of scouting is about finding but also missing players. For me, it is Kylian Mbappe. We just could not convince him.

“He was out of contract in June 2013 and we met him in February. If we could have convinced him to join, he would have changed the club — but he then decided on Monaco.

“Arsenal were not always playing their best so it was quite complicated. At first it was easy, as soon as we talked to a player he wanted to sign it.

“However, if you are not getting results it is difficult to bring top players to help the team. That’s why it is important to stay at the top for as long as possible. It is so much easier.”

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