Micah Richards says Arsenal target can ‘genuinely’ offer a ‘bit more’ than Thierry Henry

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Former Manchester City full-back Micah Richards believes that Kylian Mbappe could be a bigger hit at Arsenal than even Thierry Henry was.

In recent days, the rumours linking PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe with a switch to Arsenal have started to gain some real momentum.

Of course, the Gunners still won’t be considered favourites to land the 25-year-old’s services, primarily due to the financial implications of getting such a deal over the line. However, Arsenal should not be ruled out of the Mbappe race altogether. 

For a start, it has recently been revealed that Mbappe would “willingly” join Arsenal for the chance to follow in the footsteps of his icon, Thierry Henry.

Like Mbappe, Henry began his career at Monaco. However, it was not until the Frenchman made the switch to north London in 1999 that his club career truly exploded. By the time the striker moved on to Barcelona in 2007, he had sealed his legacy at Arsenal. He left as the Gunners’ all-time top scorer, having bagged 226 goals in 370 appearances, across all competitions, and he fired them to two Premier League titles and two FA Cup triumphs along the way.

There is now a statue of Henry in pride of place outside the Emirates Stadium, and it will be a long time before the club see a goalscorer of his stature again. That is, unless they are able to sign Mbappe, according to Micah Richards. 

Could Kylian Mbappe be the next Thierry Henry for Arsenal?

Discussing the PSG man on CBS sports, the ex-defender said, “looking at him, and his aura, he reminds me of a young Titi [Henry], he really does, but I think he’s got a little bit more!…I think he’s, genuinely, the best player on Earth right now.”

In truth, Mbappe’s numbers supersede those that Henry was able to rack up, though he has not hit these heights at Premier League level. In 290 outings for the Parisian outfit he has scored 243 goals. There is a gulf in quality between the French top flight and its English counterpart, though.

However, Mbappe has also shone on the international stage. The 75 cap France international has found the back of the net 46 times for his country. He helped to fire them to World Cup glory in 2018, and lit up the 2022 iteration of the tournament, bagging a hat-trick in the final, even as France were eventually beaten by Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

It would be fascinating to see Mbappe test himself in the Premier League, and a seismic moment for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal to get their hands on him. Few players could live up the mantle of being the next Henry, but Mbappe is certainly one of them.