Kylian Mbappe reveals he met Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger in the summer and recalls turning out for Chelsea alongside Tammy Abraham during trial

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Kylian Mbappe has revealed he met with Arsene Wenger over the summer and considered Arsenal a 'real option' before eventually deciding to join hometown club Paris Saint-Germain.

The 18-year-old completed a £166million move to Parc des Princes on the final day of the transfer window, turning down interest from the Gunners as well as a host of top European clubs in the process.

By the time PSG and Monaco agreed the extraordinary deal — officially a season-long loan with an obligation to buy next summer — Arsenal had long bowed out of the race, but the striker admits a move to the Emirates had once been a genuine possibility.

Kylian Mbappe says he considered joining Arsenal before eventually signing for PSG

The striker became the world's second most expensive star behind new team-mate Neymar

'Yes, I met with Arsene Wenger, who is a great coach,' Mbappe told The Telegraph. 

'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. It also had to be a long-term decision. So it was up to me and I decided to come here in order to develop.'

Mbappe burst onto European football's main stage after scoring six goals in the Champions League knockout rounds en route to the semi-finals with Monaco last season, but elite clubs from around the continent had been aware of his talent many years prior to his breakthrough.

Mbappe was presented by PSG on Wednesday morning having made the switch from Monaco

Mbappe with dad Wilfried (second right), brother Ethan (third right) and family at PSG

Before eventually moving to Monaco three years ago, Mbappe had been courted by the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City, but his time in England remains limited to a trial period he spent with Chelsea as an 11-year-old.

The France international even turned out for the Blues, wearing 'Kylian 10' on his shirt and lining up alongside Tammy Abraham and Jeremy Boga, both of whom have since played in the Premier League proper.

Unsurprisingly, Chelsea's Under 12 side won the game against their Charlton counterparts comprehensively and Mbappe still remembers his time with the current Premier League champions well.

He continued: 'It was a wonderful experience. Chelsea was the first great club, the first big club, that I went to visit. So it was a real discovery for me.

'We played against Charlton, I think, and we won maybe seven or eight nil,' Mbappe recalls. 'I also got to meet some of the first-team players – (Didier) Drogba, (Florent) Malouda – the French-speaking ones and took some pictures with them.' 

Mbappe was handed a Chelsea shirt with 'Kylian 10' on the back for his trial game vs Charlton

Mbappe played with England youth international Tammy Abraham for Chelsea's Under 12 side