Arsenal hijack confirmed after pulling 'dirty trick' on PSG

29 Jun 2026 17:02 BST | 4 min read

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

Make us your Google favourite

Departing PSG youngster Emmanuel Mbemba has chosen his next club after fielding strong interest from Arsenal.

Article continues under the video

The 18-year-old centre-back has become a sought-after commodity after reportedly deciding to turn down a new contract at PSG in pursuit of a clearer pathway to first-team football.

Mbemba, the captain of PSG's U18s, has received approaches from numerous clubs. For several weeks, Arsenal appeared to be the clear favourites to secure his signing.

French media described the poaching of Mbemba as a "dirty trick" by the Gunners, who have made it their mission to beef up their youth ranks with highly rated talents from around the world since the appointment of Andrea Berta as sporting director.

However, in a surprising twist, Mbemba has now seemingly decided to snub a transfer to North London. Instead, the France youth international is poised to stay in Ligue 1.

Mbemba rejects Arsenal

According to L'Equipe, Mbemba is now "expected" to sign for AS Monaco. The 18-year-old will be handed his first professional contract by the Principality club.

It means that Mbemba has become the latest bright PSG prospect to depart the club in search of senior football elsewhere. At least four other players have taken the same route in recent times.

It remains to be seen what Monaco's exact plan for Mbemba is: will he be immediately integrated into the first team or will he have to bide his time? Arsenal, for their part, posited the idea of a loan back to Ligue 1.

Part of their "dirty trick" was the suggestion that Mbemba could be loaned to PSG's next-door neighbours Paris FC next season. However, this will ultimately not materialise now, with the Gunners having missed out on his signature.

Considering how stacked Arsenal's backline currently is, it is understandable that Mbemba had doubts about his chances of experiencing senior football at the Emirates. There would also have been work permit concerns.

The well-regarded left-sided centre-back has therefore made the sensible decision to move to Monaco instead.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•Google Play

•App Store