Arsenal have been given encouragement in their pursuit of Kylian Mbappe as they prepare for an exodus of players this summer that will release funds from their wage-bill.

Although Mbappe has a choice of major clubs in Europe should he decide to leave Monaco, he has indicated that he does regard Arsenal as a potentially viable solution at this early stage of his development, essentially because of manager Arsene Wenger and his track-record for nurturing young players.

However, having already turned down a €120 million offer from Real Madrid, Monaco would now want around €130 or €140 million for the 18-year-old France striker and there is a serious doubt over whether Arsenal would stretch that far. It leaves Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette and Mbappe’s Monaco team-mate Thomas Lemar as more likely targets but any deals this summer would also have to take into account the impact on Arsenal’s wage-bill.

The same would apply to new contracts for Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, with Arsenal signed up to updated Premier League cost control rules which apply for this current broadcast deal until 2019 and which limit the increase in their wage spend from television money to £7 million each season.