Arsenal legend Robert Pires doesn't share manager Arsene Wenger's worries that the club could be priced out of the race to sign AS Monaco starlet Kylian Mbappe, telling reporters he believes the teenager will sign with the Gunners.The former France international made the bold claim during an interview with Bwin (h/t London Evening Standard's James Benge): "I do think Arsenal will sign him. The problem is how much. Mbappe has the potential to play for Arsenal, and Wenger is the right manager to manage him. Monaco and Arsenal are very similar in clubs, so it won't be much of a transition."He also spoke about the frequent comparisons with another Arsenal icon, Thierry Henry:The comparison is unnecessary, he's not ready to be compared to Thierry. Mbappe is a very similar player but to compare the two players would be unfair.I hope that Kylian can follow in the footsteps of Thierry Henry, he has the same profile as Thierry - quick, strong and a great finisher but he's very young so I would hold off on comparisons just yet.Per the report, Wenger recently admitted the high interest in Mbappe's services could mean the Gunners no longer have the financial might to land the Frenchman. Real Madrid, Manchester United and Manchester City have all been linked with the forward.Mbappe has been the top breakout performer of the 2016-17 season, playing a key role in Monaco's unexpected challenge for the Ligue 1 title. Per Get French Football News, his statistics are incredible:The 18-year-old has impressed with his vision, instincts and raw finishing abilitytraits top strikers usually develop at a later age. He has all of the physical tools you'd expect from a top forward and is effective both in the open space and inside the box.His outings in the UEFA Champions League against the likes of City and Borussia Dortmund have pushed the hype to extraordinary heights, and so far, he's yet to disappoint at any turn. Here's a look at some of his highlights:It's easy to see why all of the top clubs are said to have an interest in the youngster and why Wenger believes Arsenal may not be able to compete with those clubs financially. Arsenal have money to burn but tend to be a little more frugal on the transfer front.Money doesn't seem to be a driving factor for Mbappe, however, as evidenced by this comments from Monaco goalkeeper Danijel Subasic, via Bleacher Report Football:Wenger's links with former club Monaco and his standing as a solid talent developer could aid him in the race to land Mbappe, but as of right now, the Gunners can't be considered favourites.The likes of City and Real have invested heavily in youngsters the last few seasons, and Mbappe would be the perfect prospect to continue that trend.Read more World Football news on BleacherReport.com
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