Arsene Wenger drops major hint that Arsenal will try to sign Kylian Mbappe from Monaco this summer

They face stiff competition from Real Madrid who could offer £118m for the player

Mbappe is expected to leave Monaco this summer (Getty)

Arsene Wenger has dropped a massive hint that Arsenal are in for Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe after warning the Frenchman he must join a club where he will be the star attraction.

The Gunners are interested in the teenager and were reported to have made an £87m bid last week, but Monaco are appearing to hold out for closer to £100m.

Wenger was spotted in Monaco on Monday with chief executive Ivan Gazidis, less than a week after signing his new two-year deal with the club, and is believed to be there to discuss Mbappe coming to north London.

As well as Arsenal, Real Madrid, Paris-Saint Germain and Manchester City are all keeping an eye on Mbappe, but France boss Didier Deschamps warned that he must go to a club where he will get regular first-team action but also be managed carefully.

And, in an interview with beIN Sports, Wenger agreed that Mbappe must play. He said: “Where do you think he might finish? Somewhere where he has a good chance to play and is sure to play. That is why I think Deschamps made that statement.

“He thinks that he needs to play but I would say as well on the other hand that the boy has made enough impression to be basically sure a club who spends a 100 million for you is basically to make at the start at least the red carpet.

“Nobody will buy a player for a 100 million and say, ‘Come on, sit in the stands.’”

Wenger tried to sign Mbappe last summer, before he came to the attention of the other European giants, only for a contract issue to prevent Arsenal from getting him substantially cheaper than they would if they got him this summer.