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Gossip: Arsenal 'confident' on Mbappe despite Liverpool and PSG bids, Manchester City 'target £50m Alexis'

In-demand Kylian Mbappe is closing on a new club
In-demand Kylian Mbappe is closing on a new club

Like Lincoln City in the FA Cup, or Frodo Baggins going toe to toe with the evil might of Mordor, or Susan Boyle on Britain’s Got Talent, plucky Arsene Wenger still thinks he can take on the big boys for Kylian Mbappe and win – against all the odds. It’s an inspiring, heart-warming story – and if he pulls it off they should probably make a film about it. Or at least give him a record deal. But will it happen?

Arsene seems to think so, with the Metro reporting that the Arsenal manager is “growing in confidence” in his unlikely pursuit of the world’s most sought-after player.

This is despite the rival bids for Mbappe getting bigger by the day. That the teenager will break the world transfer record when he moves seems to be a foregone conclusion, with the latest sum offered being Paris Saint-Germain’s ballsy £119m, according to Goal.

PSG’s sporting director Antero Henrique has reportedly met Mbappe’s father twice, and hopes the lure of returning to his hometown will tempt the 18-year-old Parisian to choose the Parc des Princes.

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Jurgen Klopp is having a go too, but Liverpool’s alleged £88m bid for Mbappe (Marca) has unsurprisingly been rejected. Peanuts, innit.

Marca adds that the only club Mbappe would be prepared to leave Monaco for is Real Madrid, so L’Equipe’s claim that the striker has had a “conversation secrete” (that’s French for secret conversation) with Bernabeu boss Zinedine Zidane seems ominous for their transfer rivals.

Even then, the Telegraph maintains that Mbappe is “open to the idea” of moving to Arsenal, principally because of Wenger’s “track record for nurturing young players”. Just months after the manager was almost sacked! This is a Hollywood script that would write itself.

£100m double swoop

Meanwhile, Manchester City are also getting “increasingly confident” that they can lure Alexis Sanchez away from the Emirates (Mirror). Pep Guardiola is ready to “test Arsenal’s resolve” with a £50m bid once Chile’s Confederations Cup campaign is over and would pay him £300,000 a week, which will be nice for him.

The Times says Chelsea manager Antonio Conte will offload Nemanja Matic to Manchester United in order to “accelerate” the arrival of fellow defensive midfielder Tiemoue Bakoyoko, who is expected to arrive from Monaco in a £38m deal. That means Cesc Fabregas would stay at Stamford Bridge, after all that.

The Blues have also made a £100m double swoop for Juventus duo Leonardo Bonucci and Alex Sandro (Sun), while earmarking another £60m for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk (Guardian). Chelsea shouldn’t be allowed to buy all these players – it’s not fair.

Elsewhere, Tottenham are set to make a £17.5m move for 21-year-old Schalke winger Max Meyer (Sun), Stoke’s £12m bid for Middlesbrough captain Ben Gibson has been rejected, with Boro holding out for “upwards of £20m” (Mirror) and Inter Milan have joined Juventus in the £15m race to sign Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny (Standard), who has evidently employed a better PR operation in Italy than he did in England.