Darren Bent says Arsenal should take the opportunity to sign Kylian Mbappe by giving up Bukayo Saka.
Mbappe’s situation
Mbappe revealed that he will leave PSG in the summer on a free contract. However, it would still cost at least £180m to sign the Frenchman due to his high wages. Clubs will have to sacrifice players if they want to sign Mbappe.
Real Madrid and Liverpool remain favourites to but Arsenal could also join the race as they’re actively looking for a new goalscorer.
Mikel Arteta said Arsenal are interested in Mbappe, but he doesn’t seem confident that the Gunners will sign him. Arteta said: “When there is a player of that calibre, we always have to be in that conversation.
“But it looks in a different way, that’s what I would say.”
Bent’s verdict
Bent weighed in on the possibility of Arsenal signing Mbappe and named a couple of key players he’d swap for the 25-year-old.
He said: “I’d give one of them and another player. “I’m not giving up Saka and Odegaard. I’d give up Gabriel Jesus and Odegaard, or Gabriel Jesus and Saka.
“That pains me because Saka, an academy graduate, but you are talking about arguably the best player on the planet and he’s not old, he’s young.
Saka made his first senior Arsenal appearance in 2018. Since then he’s made 210 appearances for the Gunners and has scored 51 goals and assisted 53.
Bent added: “I love Mbappe. I’d play him down the middle but he’s versatile which is what I like – he can play on either flank.”
Since joining Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco in a deal worth £165.7million, Mbappe has become one of the world’s top stars.
Making 290 appearances for the club, Mbappe has scored 243 goals and assisted 105.
Is Saka world-class?
Rio Ferdinand sparked a debate earlier in the week. After Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Copenhagen, he claimed that Phil Foden is world-class but Saka isn’t.
He said: “I think you’ve got to be looking at him [Foden] like that [world-class]. For what he does for the team, his importance to the team, with goals, assists and the rhythm of the game, especially this season.
“He’s got to be in the conversation, and nearing that at least.
“I don’t think [Saka] has done it at the top level, winning trophies at a team like this.
“He’s not in as good a team as City’s. You’ve got to respect and appreciate that Foden’s done this, where the medals are handed out, he’s performed. Against the best teams as well, consistently.
“I think Saka is more about, he needs the opportunity to perform at that platform, that level, consistently, and you can consider him then as world-class.”
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