Arsenal nearly signed ‘the new Henry’ for £0, now he’s a £152m phenomenon

Does anyone fancy a bit of Va Va Voom? Of course, you do. If you’re reading this then it’s likely you’re an Arsenal fan. You love Thierry Henry. You love the swagger, you love the charisma and most importantly, you love the goals.

There have been none better in Arsenal’s history. There has, arguably, been no better foreign import in Premier League history either.

Henry personified the Arsene Wenger years in north London. There were many of them, but the two Frenchmen came together to conjure up the most successful years in the club’s history.

Signed as a spritely young winger from Monaco, Wenger turned his fellow countryman into one of the most feared strikers in history.

He scored a club-record 228 goals for the Gunners and took home two Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a UEFA Champions League runners-up medal. He even won the World Cup while an Arsenal player.

Now cast in bronze outside the Emirates Stadium, he is still held in incredibly high regard by those in N5. That said, they once missed out on an incredible opportunity to bring the next Henry to the Premier League. That’s a certain Kylian Mbappe.

When Arsenal missed out on Kylian Mbappe

You could build a pretty fearsome squad out of the players Arsenal have allegedly missed out on across the years.

There have been stories of how Sir Alex Ferguson beat Wenger to Cristiano Ronaldo, how there was interest in Lionel Messi and of course, that fateful trial that Zlatan Ibrahimovic had with the club.

However, if we’re talking about the modern era, their failure to convince an incredibly young Mbappe to make the move to London will surely still sting.

So, what’s the story here? Well, speaking in 2021 after he’d left the club, Wenger revealed how they came close to luring the player to English shores.

Oh Arsene, what might have been, eh? There was even the chance to sign him in 2017 before the great Frenchman moved to PSG.

That said, it didn’t ever truly feel like an option for the now 25-year-old who has previously opened up about interest in him from the Gunners. “Yes, I met with Arsene Wenger, who is a great coach,” Mbappe admitted.

“He has a great reputation here in France, he’s well-respected and knows how to develop young players. This was a real option for me.

“But, of course, Paris Saint-Germain was the main option. We weighed up the advantages and disadvantages of all the clubs but my family told me it had to be my decision and one I needed to make.”

Kylian Mbappe’s transfer value in 2024

From potentially signing the amazing forward on a free transfer, it will come as no surprise to see that the attacker’s transfer value has soared astronomically over the years, even if Real Madrid did sign him for no transfer fee in the summer.

Despite that, it’s still a seriously expensive move for Madrid. Mbappe was reportedly paid a signing fee of just over £85m and will earn an alleged £25m a year. It’s money Arsenal couldn’t even dream of paying a player in wages.

While things are beginning to work out for Mikel Arteta and Co, they will no doubt lust after that Erling Haaland-esque figure to power their way past Manchester City.

Alongside the Norwegian, they are the Messi and Ronaldo of this generation. Or, as Wenger once coined him, Mbappe is “another Thierry Henry”.

Among the nominees for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, there are few better in the global game than a man who scored 256 times for PSG, 44 of which came last term in 48 games.

So, what is he actually worth? Well, from the day Arsenal could have nabbed him on a free, Transfermarkt now value the World Cup winner at an eye-watering £152m.

To put that number into context, you just need to look at the graphic below where Arsenal star Bukayo Saka is valued at £118m.

This is one of the greatest what-if stories around. Perhaps one day we will get to see Mbappe in the famous red and white. It’s wishful thinking, we know.