A former Arsenal scout says the biggest regret of his career was not being able to convince Kylian Mbappe to join the club a few years ago.
Gilles Grimandi has revealed in 2016 the club travelled to France to meet with the player's parents, with Arsene Wenger travelling along.
However, Mbappe opted to sign a new deal at AS Monaco despite interest from a host of European clubs after the 2016/2017 season.
"I don't know whether Kylian Mbappe is a realistic target for Arsenal, even if the club wins the Premier League and has a strong season in Europe. We tried to convince him before, in 2016," Grimandi told Ladbrokes Fanzone, as per Metro.
"We met his parents in London who came to the training ground and alongside Arsene [Wenger, then manager] and Richard Law [then transfer chief] we travelled to meet Kylian in the South of France.
"We tried to convince him, but I don't think it was the best time for us; that meeting took place the day after we'd just lost to Swansea at home in the League, which itself followed a defeat at Old Trafford."
"I remember we had a big game away just three days later against Tottenham, so the timing was not ideal. We tried, and I really don't think we were far from getting him, but he declined the project and signed a new deal with Monaco."
"I'd say it is probably the biggest disappointment in my 15 years as an Arsenal scout, not convincing Kylian Mbappe to sign for the club."
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