Arsene Wenger has now been expressing his regret over a signing Arsenal missed out on in the past, one that still ‘hurts his heart’.
Right now, Edu and Mikel Arteta are likely attempting to execute transfer plans the club have had in place months in advance.
Arsenal moved so early to sign Kai Havertz last summer, who officially joined on June 28.
The transfer was shortly followed by a £105m move for Declan Rice, a real statement of the club’s intent for the season ahead.
Sadly, these kinds of sums weren’t available to Wenger in his final years at the club, who operated amid more frugal circumstances.
Wenger’s ability to navigate those periods whilst keeping the club in the Champions League for so long was remarkable, a testament to his credentials as a manager.
Of course, during those years, Wenger and his team searched for bargains, looking to extract every bit of potential out of players both young and old.
And that being said, Wenger has now been reminiscing about a time when he almost signed Kylian Mbappe for Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger says it was ‘obvious’ Kylian Mbappe would be a star when Arsenal missed out
Newly signed for Real Madrid, Mbappe has of course already inspired his country to a World Cup win, just the start of what he’ll achieve in his career.
PSG manager Luis Enrique recently labelled Mbappe ‘incredible’ after it became clear that he would be leaving the club.
READ MORE: Arsenal’s 25 most expensive transfers and record signings of all time
And when speaking to French TV network TF1, Wenger admitted that he still finds it hard to see old pictures of Mbappe wearing an Arsenal shirt.
Wenger said: “It was a footballing blow, and an obvious one too. Seeing a photo like that [of a young Mbappe wearing an Arsenal shirt], hurts my heart a little.
“I went to his parents and tried to convince them. At the time, he was a little shy, people were starting to ask him for his first autographs in Monaco.
“At the beginning of your career, you don’t have too much pressure at the start and they managed to persuade him to extend it by promising him that he would play more easily at Monaco than at Arsenal, Liverpool or Real Madrid.
“We can say that his parents advised him well and that he made the right decision.”
Arsenal will resist temptation to activate Victor Osimhen’s release clause
Presented with the chance to sign a ready made superstar striker this summer, Arsenal have decided not to buy Victor Osimhen.
The club would reportedly rather bring a Kai Havertz understudy to the Emirates Stadium – perhaps someone on the lines of Joshua Zirkzee or Benjamin Sesko.
Of course, if Arsenal are going to seal a deal for Sesko they may need to act fast, given Chelsea are reportedly also in pursuit of the RB Leipzig striker.
And if the club dither with Sesko’s release clause, Arsenal may risk a repeat of the Mykhaylo Mudyrk fiasco.