Kylian Mbappe to Arsenal: What we know so far
Arsene Wenger is ready to make a statement signing as Arsenal try to win an expensive race for Monaco star Kylian Mbappe.
The manager has penned a new two-year contract at the club amid significant unrest and is prepared to start his latest chapter with a stunning transfer swoop.
But Arsenal face a tough fight for Mbappe with Real Madrid also in for the 18-year-old and understood to head the long queue of potential suitors.
Can Arsenal pull off the signing of the summer? Here's everything we know so far courtesy of James Olley...
Is the deal close?
Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim has admitted that Monaco's "project" - bringing academy players through and maximising profits through selling them on - will make it hard to keep hold of their best talent.
There been movement, but progress has been slow following the rejection of Arsenal’s informal £87million offer, although the Gunners deny any bid was made.
The Ligue 1 champions are now understood to be planning a bumper new £140,000-a-week contract offer, with the youngster currently earning £16,000 a week.
Real Madrid appear to be in pole position, with Mbappe reportedly a long-time admirer of the Champions League holders. Zinedine Zidane has had a £105m bid rejected.
Both Real and Arsenal have previously tried to sign Mbappe before he committed at Stade Louis II. Monaco are understood to be holding out for closer to £120m.
There may be renewed hope as Gunners also target Mbappe's team-mate Thomas Lemar, with channels open between the two teams to still discuss Mbappe.
However, both Mbappe and Lemar featured prominently in Monaco's new kit launch, with the former declaring himself "ready" for the oncoming Ligue 1 season.
Nouveau maillot domicile @NikeFootball pour la saison 17-18... on est fin prêts ????⚪???? pic.twitter.com/oRYOSYhfwB
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) June 30, 2017
What is Arsenal's budget?
Wenger has been handed £100m to bolster his squad and has previously confirmed he is targeting a "maximum of three" new faces.
With an £87m bid for Mbappe having already been submitted and rejected, Wenger is ready to go all out to sign arguably world football's hottest property.
Arsenal have, however, also bid £44m for Lacazette only to be told by Lyon to up that sum to £57m, the fee Atletico Madrid were willing to spend before their transfer ban was upheld.
Even with free signing Sead Kolasinac through the door, Wenger will likely not have the funds to sign both Mbappe and Lacazette.
How much does Arsene Wenger want Mbappe?
Wenger has already approved a bid of more than twice Arsenal's current record transfer fee to sign the 18-year-old, so he really, really wants him.
The manager travelled to the player’s house last summer in a failed effort to convince Mbappe, then out of contract at Monaco, to join the Gunners.
This could well be another one that got away for Wenger, adding his name to an ever-increasing list, but Arsenal are certainly not giving up without a fight.
Is Mbappe worth the money?
Mbappe is Monaco's youngest-ever first-team debutant, beating Thierry Henry's record, Monaco's youngest-ever goalscorer, beating Henry's record, and scored 26 goals in his first full season in the first-team squad.
His ability in undeniable and Wenger has branded Mbappe as an "exceptional talent" who can emulate Arsenal all-time top goalscorer Henry.
"He is not exactly Thierry Henry but it is true that he has similar qualities and the future and talent is similar," Wenger told the Ligue 1 show in February.
"The potential is similar, after that if he has the same level of motivation, desire and intelligence that Thierry has, and the next two to three years will tell us that, then he can be very promising.
"The guys that have super talent are already playing at 18. Those who are not playing at 18 or 19 do not have that exceptional talent and he does play over here at the top level. He is a guy who is electric like Thierry was, can dribble, can pass and is efficient."
The Premier League is notoriously hard to play in and far more taxing, especially on a teenager, than Ligue 1, but Wenger has given his seal of approval. He is surely good enough.
What does it mean for Olivier Giroud?
Giroud is keen to remain at the Emirates Stadium, telling Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas that he still harbours hopes of being Arsenal's first-choice forward next season when in talks over a transfer.
Lyon have since publicly ended their interest in Giroud after signing Bertrand Traore from Chelsea and, at the unveiling, Aulas claimed that Arsenal want to keep the 30-year-old.
A £20m price tag was placed on Giroud ahead of an expected summer exit, with West Ham understood to be leading the chase - and Everton also reportedly interested.
In Pictures | Kylian Mbappe's meteoric rise at Monaco
In Pictures | Kylian Mbappe's meteoric rise at Monaco
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Kylian Mbappe is one of the world's most-coveted youngsters after announcing himself with a stellar campaign with Monaco this season.
Here is his career, in pictures, so far...Getty Images
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He made his first-team debut on December 2, 2015, becoming Monaco's youngest-ever player at 16 years 347 days to break Thierry Henry’s record set 21 years earlier.
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Eight days later he faced Tottenham in the Europa League, coming on just before the hour mark as Monaco lost 4-1 at White Hart Lane.
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He scored his first goal for Monaco a few months later, in February, at the age of 17 years and 62 days to break another Thierry Henry record as the club's youngest-ever scorer.
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That summer, Kylian Mbappe scored five times as France won the Under-19s European Championship.
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His first goal of this season came in October as Monaco put six past Montpellier.
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He scored his first hat-trick for Monaco in February, 2017, as Monaco won 5-0 over Metz.
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Just 10 days later, he scored at the Etihad Stadium as Monaco lost 5-3 to Man City.
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His second goal against Caen in March was his sixth in four games.
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Such form saw him called up for the France national team for the first time in the same month.
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Kylian Mbappe made his senior France debut against Luxembourg, replacing Dimitri Payet in the 78th minute.
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In total, Kylian Mbappe scored six goals in nine games in his first Champions League campaign.
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A run which ended with a semi-final loss to Juventus, though he scored only the third goal Gianluigi Buffon had conceded in the entire Champions League campaign and first since November.
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Kylian Mbappe's season ended with Monaco being crowned Ligue 1 champions for the first time in 17 years. He had scored 26 goals in 44 games across all competitions.
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