Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insists the Gunners 'have to be in the conversation' when it comes to Kylian Mbappe's next club.
However, the Spaniard admits it looks more likely that the France superstar will end up at Real Madrid in the summer.
Mbappe has reportedly told Paris Saint-Germain that he will leave the club at the end of his contract, which expires in June.
He has long been linked with a move to Spanish giants Real, dating back to his time at former club Monaco.
Arsenal news: Mikel Arteta says the Gunners will be in the conversation for Kylian Mbappe
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However, some reports this week have claimed that Mbappe would like to follow in the footsteps of former France legend Thierry Henry.
Henry is Arsenal's all-time record goalscorer and widely regarded as one of the best players to ever play in the Premier League.
Mbappe will be a free agent once he leaves PSG but would demand a huge signing-on fee as well as mega wages as one of the best-paid players in the world.
Like the majority of clubs, Arsenal would struggle to match Mbappe's financial demands.
But the question was still put to Arteta at his press conference on Friday morning.
The reporter suggested it was more than likely that Mbappe would end up at the Bernabeu.
Arteta agreed but also admitted Arsenal should not be completely ruled out of the running.
He said while smiling: "When there is a player of that calibre we always have to be in the conversation.
"But as you said it looks in a different way. That's what I would say."
Mbappe has scored 243 goals in 290 appearances for PSG since joining from Monaco in 2017.
However, he has been unable to lead the French side to the holy grail of Champions League glory.
PSG beat Real Sociedad 2-0 in the first leg of their last-16 tie this week.
Ahead of the match, Rio Ferdinand claimed the French side do not have a good enough team around Mbappe to allow him to be a 'passenger off the ball'.
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Arsenal news: Mikel Arteta when asked about the future of Kylian Mbappe
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Ferdinand said on TNT Sports: "I think there's a bit more than just Mbappe there. They've invested heavily in this squad over the last few years.
"But it just goes to show you can't just have the jewel in the crown and it doesn't function as a team around them.
"You've got to have a really unified team that are working cohesively together for that one end product, which is to win trophies. Domestically they get it done.
"It's shown you 100 per cent, for any young people who are aspiring players at any level, you can't win big trophies with passengers without the ball.
Arsenal news: Kylian Mbappe has been linked with a shock move to the Gunners
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"They had that, they had three of them, where they just switched off without the ball and they used to get punished when it got to the later stages of the tournament.
"Can they do it with one person who might be a passenger without the ball? I think it remains to be seen. But I would strongly doubt that."
