Arsenal and Liverpool are the two Premier League clubs most heavily linked to a move for Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe.

But reporter Sam Lee has played down the prospect of Mbappe landing at the Emirates Stadium on a free transfer in the summer.

He told the Arsenal Beat podcast: “Shall we do it? Shall we address the Mbappe issue? I think everyone knows that isn’t going to happen due to the wages he would demand, and the structure Arsenal have in place.

“Yes, there’s no transfer fee, but I imagine the signing fee would be substantial to sign Mbappe as a free agent. But let’s suspend the financial reality for a moment.

“One thing I would say about the Mbappe situation is that if he’s looking around Europe for clubs he could go to, there aren’t many, and I think Arsenal would be very much on the list of appealing ones.

“A young, up-and-coming squad, in Europe, there’s the Thierry Henry factor, there’s a lot there in Arsenal’s favour. That pull is enormous right now, but I think the wages alone would be mind-boggling, so I can’t see that one happening.”