Arsenal ‘reach out’ for PSG star as race with Barcelona heats up
The Premier League champions have an exciting season ahead as they aim to keep their title and make another strong run in the Champions League.
Arsenal won the Premier League last month with a game to spare and then faced Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, narrowly losing on penalties in Budapest.
Manager Mikel Arteta isn’t ready to stop there. Arsenal hadn’t won the league in 22 years, and getting so close in Europe has only made them hungrier.
Now, as the transfer window opens, Arsenal and their competitors both in England and Europe are planning for the 2026-27 season and beyond.
Reports from France say Arsenal have made a move to sign PSG defender Emmanuel Mbemba on a free transfer.
Mbemba, who captains PSG’s under-19 team and plays for France’s under-18 squad, hasn’t appeared for PSG’s first team yet. Even though PSG offered him professional terms and the chance to stay in Paris with Paris FC, it looks like the young player will leave France to join his first senior club.
Le Parisien reports: “Arsenal, the English champions and Champions League finalists, have shown interest in Mbemba, scouting him several times this season.”
However, there’s a catch — Mbemba doesn’t have enough points for a UK work permit right now. If Arsenal want to sign him, they might have to loan him to another league first.
Mbemba can play as a centre-back or left-back and has already won trophies with PSG’s under-19s. Other big clubs like Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, and Bayern Munich are also watching him.
The work permit is the main challenge. Even though Mbemba is old enough to sign a pro contract in England, he hasn’t played enough first-team games to qualify for a UK work permit.
This would be a long-term signing, and where Arsenal might choose to loan him out would be very interesting.
Usually, young players go back on loan to their previous club, but Arsenal recently faced PSG twice in big Champions League matches, so sending Mbemba back to Paris might not be the best idea.
All in all, Arsenal look ready to build for the future while chasing more success on the big stage.