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Cape Town - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that he narrowly missed out on signing Monaco's rising star Kylian Mbappe last year.
Mbappe has turned heads at Stade Louis II this season, bagging 24 goals in 39 games, which also earned him a call-up to the France national team.
However, Wenger was already interested in the 18-year-old in March last year when he attempted to lure his compatriot to the Gunners, potentially to follow in the footsteps of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who also started out at Monaco.
“The player would tell you that I was at his home last year to try to get him here,” Wenger told beIN Sport .
“Because he was at the end of [his] contract but Monaco managed to keep him and the decision was very, very tight.
“But I could understand it as well because he was educated there and at the end decided to stay there.”
When asked if Mbappe may still join the north London club, Wenger added: “Can Arsenal get him? I don't know, that's down to him. You know certainly as I do that today he will decide where he goes and say: Real Madrid? Maybe. Barcelona? Maybe. Arsenal? Manchester? He can go where he wants."
Mbappe's Monaco side were defeated 2-0 on Wednesday evening by Juventus in a first-leg tie of the Champions League semi-final at the Stade Louis II.
