Arsenal given hope on Kylian Mbappe and Thomas Lemar as coach admits Monaco 'project' may lead to transfers
Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim admits that he cannot be sure of keeping the likes of Arsenal targets Kylian Mbappe and Thomas Lemar due to the club's transfer "project".
Standard Sport understands that Arsenal are keen on Monaco duo Mbappe and Lemar, but face the prospect of having to substantially increase their opening offers for the France internationals.
Monaco won the Ligue 1 title and reached the Champions League semi-finals with a young, exciting squad last season, but Jardim's team risks being broken apart in the transfer market this summer.
Bernardo Silva has already joined Manchester City in move worth over £42million, while Tiemoue Bakayoko is expected to complete a £35.1m deal with Chelsea this weekend.
Lemar and Mbappe are just two of the many Monaco players currently being targeted by Premier League clubs, vindicating the club's 2014 decision to focus on developing and promoting academy talents with a view to maximising their value in the market.
Jardim told RMC that while Monaco are champions of France, the club's business model will not change - and that may make it difficult to keep hold of their top stars.
"I hope to keep the right players," ESPN quotes him as saying. "It is not just me, all the coaches of the world [would] like to keep the best players. But with the Monaco project, maybe it's not possible to always keep the best. We're going to look at what's going to happen.
"Three players left. Other players could leave us. Everyone knows our project. It did not change even if we have won the title. The project is the same. The goal is still win. Nothing changed.
"It's very important for us. What matters is the training of the young players and the quality of our game. The only thing that changes is that we are going to start the season being the defending champions."
Regarding Mbappe - also a target for Real Madrid - Jardim added: "I have not spoken to him, because he knows how we work, that we want to keep him. I think the club and he will make the best decision."
ArticleArsenal given Mbappe, Lemar hope as coach talks about Monaco 'project'AS MonacoKylian MbappeThomas LemarArsenalLeonardo Jardimtransfer newsPremier LeagueArsenal given Mbappe, Lemar hope as coach talks about Monaco 'project'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.
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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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