Arsenal linked with stunning Kylian Mbappe swap deal as 'PSG consider bid for Gunners star'

 

Arsenal have been urged to explore the possibility of swap deal involving Gabriel Martinelli and PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe.

Martinelli, 21, has impressed for the Premier League leaders this season.

He has scored five goals and provided two assists in 20 appearances, form which earned him a call-up to Brazil's 26-man World Cup squad.

Martinelli made his tournament debut on Thursday, coming off the bench late on in Brazil's 2-0 win over Serbia.

He was then an unused substitute in Monday's 1-0 win over Switzerland.

Martinelli is under contract with Arsenal until 2024, with the club holding an option to extend it by a further year.

However, the Premier League club are expected to offer the Brazilian an improved deal to convince him to commit his long-term future to the club, amid reported interest from elsewhere.

According to Calciomercato, as reported by Football London, French champions Paris Saint-Germain are considering a move for the winger.

It is claimed PSG are willing to pay up to €60million (£51.8m) for Martinelli, who only joined Arsenal in a £6m move from Brazilian side Ituano in 2019.

Could Arsenal sign Mbappe?

The report adds that Arsenal could potentially explore the possibility of a swap deal involving Mbappe.

The France international, who has already scored three goals at the World Cup, has been strongly linked with a move away from PSG.

Reports earlier this season claimed Mbappe was unhappy at PSG, just months after turning down a lucrative move to Real Madrid to sign a new three-year deal at the Parc des Princes.

However, even if Mbappe was willing to move to Arsenal, it would likely cost the Gunners a huge fee – plus Martinelli – to convince PSG to sell their star player.

According to a recent CIES Football Observatory study, Mbappe is the third most valuable player at the World Cup with a transfer valuation of £162m – behind only England’s Jude Bellingham (£176.8m) and Brazil international Vinicius Jr (£176m).

Kylian Mbappe has been accused of coming with 'baggage,' following the news he wants to leave PSG, and one pundit wouldn't swap the forward for current Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus.

The latest, and perhaps most surprising, twist in the Mbappe transfer saga came on Tuesday night, just months after he signed a new contract at the Parc des Princes.

According to reports, in Spain and France, the PSG forward has told the club he wants to leave in January, just months after deciding his short term future belonged in the French capital.

Whilst he initially signed for two years, although people were fooled into thinking it was three, apparently the 23-year-old wants to leave already, after feeling 'betrayed' by the club.

Most people would expect that Mbappe would only leave the French capital for Real Madrid, the Parisiens apparently don't want to sell to the Spanish giants.

That leads to some questions about which team could afford the 23-year-old, if a move to the Bernabeu is off the table, but surely every fan in the world would take him?

Well apparently not everyone, with Arsenal fan, and former Tottenham Hotspur striker, Darren Bent apparently preferring current Gunners' star Jesus over the World Cup winner.

"Mbappe comes with a lot of baggage… there always seems to be something," Bent said on talkSPORT.

"Look at Haaland who’s a superstar of world football, he comes with no baggage. Gets the deal done, you never hear any stories about him, he seems like the model professional.

"Whenever we talk about Mbappe he’s always upset about something or he’s fallen out with somebody or him and Poch didn’t have a good relationship. There’s all this kind of nonsense.

"He was unhappy last year, he wanted to go to Real Madrid on a free. That didn’t happen and now he’s signed his bumper contract and now again he’s not happy.

"I’ve got no doubt Mbappe is a phenomenal player but do you want that coming into your dressing room and upsetting it?"

Bent was then asked if he'd swap Mbappe with Jesus, which clearly he wouldn't

"Right now? No. I like what Jesus is doing," the former Sunderland forward responded.

"I’m not saying Mbappe isn’t a better player, because he is. But Arsenal are currently top of the Premier League table."

The Gunners are top of the Premier League, following their controversial win over Liverpool at the weekend, and Jesus has certainly been a great signing for them, joining from Manchester City in the summer.

The Brazilian has scored five goals and picked up three assists in the league, Mbappe has scored eight in the league for PSG, but is yet to set up a league goal for his teammates.

You imagine that Arsenal would take the Frenchman at the Emirates, if they had the chance.