Arsenal transfer target Kylian Mbappe: Real Madrid have wanted me since I was 14

Forward, 18, admits he is sorting through offers as exit from Monaco looms

Evan Bartett
Wednesday 14 June 2017 03:01 EDT
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Mbappe, 18, made the revelation after France's 3-2 victory over England in Paris on Tuesday night
Mbappe, 18, made the revelation after France's 3-2 victory over England in Paris on Tuesday night (AFP/Getty Images)

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Kylian Mbappe has admitted he is sorting through transfer offers with his departure from Monaco looking more imminent with each passing day.

The 18-year-old is one of the most sought after players in Europe after a breakthrough season for the Ligue 1 champions in which he scored 26 goals in all competitions.

Some of the Premier League's biggest clubs - including Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United - have all been linked with the young striker but it is La Liga giants Real Madrid who seem likeliest at this stage.

And Mbappe has revealed that the Spanish side have coveted his services for some time.

"Real Madrid? They have been trying to sign me since I was 14," Mbappe said after France's 3-2 victory over England on Tuesday night.

The young striker also told Canal+ that he will not make a decision on his future without consulting his family.

"We're going to go away with the family and we'll think about what's going to happen," he said.

"We have to sort it out, see what happens with the club too, because I'm under contract with a club, I'm not free. We'll see what's happening."

If he is to leave Monaco this summer it is likely to be for a fee in excess of £100m.

Arsenal had seemed the most likely English club to secure the transfer until the Frenchman revealed his "obsession" with winning the Champions League.

"[The Champions League] is a dream, a competition that everyone wants to win and that only a minority can win - the most important are the titles,” Mbappe said this week.

"That would be much more of an obsession for me than the Ballon d'Or, for example. I want to touch the stars and, when you dream, you do not dream of playing the middle of the table or maintaining it."

Arsenal's failure to qualify for the competition could open the door to the club who have wanted Mbappe since he was just 14 - and a side who have won three of the last four Champions League trophies.

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