Arsenal to lose out on cover for Bukayo Saka thanks to Kylian Mbappe

It could be a disappointing summer for Arsenal in the transfer market this summer, and that’s all down to Kylian Mbappe’s expected move from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid.

The Frenchman’s protracted switch has already been the transfer saga of the past few months with no official word still forthcoming.

There is a belief that any announcement will soon be made, however, thus bringing to an end Los Blancos courtship of a player that they’ve coveted for many years.

Arsenal’s pursuit of Xavi Simons likely to end because of Kylian Mbappe

What that will also do, according to the Daily Express, is ensure that Xavi Simons, currently on loan at RB Leipzig, will return to the French giants because of the versatility that he can bring to the front line.

The outlet note that former Barcelona academy ace, Simons, has also been linked with the Gunners, who apparently see the playmaker as someone that can provide cover for Bukayo Saka when required, as well as making a name for himself if given the opportunity.

Mbappe’s move curtails such an opportunity and puts Arsenal in a quandary in terms of their priorities for the forthcoming transfer window.

It’s believed that an out-and-out striker has been at the top of the Gunners shopping list for a while now, though they can’t ignore the fact that if Saka were to get injured, at present there is no sufficient cover in his position.

Perhaps player sales can raise enough money to allow Mikel Arteta to be able to buy high quality exponents in both areas, but that will only be known at season’s end, when attention turns back to contractual matters.

Of course, Simons himself might yet have a say in what he wants to do next.

Though he’s given no indication of wanting to leave PSG at any point, the fact that they palmed him off to RB Leipzig at the first opportunity might rankle.

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