Arsene Wenger

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe has paid the ultimate tribute to former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger during an interview with Canal +. The 19-year-old was closely monitored by Wenger before he decided to pursue his career with Les Parisiens and Mbappe has now admitted that the 68-year-old remains the coach of his dreams, he said: “I dream of being managed by Arsene Wenger. He is French, he's had a great career& now he is free because he has left Arsenal.”

During the summer of 2016, Wenger had tried to convince Mbappe to join the Gunners and he had paid a personally visit to his family. However, the teenager eventually decided to sign a professional contract with AS Monaco and his contribution towards their 2016/17 league title earned him a big-money move to Paris Saint-Germain, initially on a season-long loan.

At present, the teenager is with the France national team at their training camp in Russia and he will be hoping to guide Les Bleus to World Cup glory for the first time in two decades. Didier Deschamps’ side came within the cusp of securing the Euro 2016 crown, only to be outsmarted by Portugal in the final and,hopefully, they will have better luck this time around, though they have a stiffer challenge on their hands.

The likes of Spain and Germany are among the key nations who are expected to challenge for the World Cup crown but France could face additional competition from the likes of Belgium, Brazil, and even England, who hold high aspirations coming into the tournament. The Three Lions have rarely impressed at the World Cup over the past two decades and there is a sense of optimism within a young crop of players including Harry Kane, who has caught the eye of the global stage.