Wenger: I went to Mbappe's house last year in an effort to sign him

Arsene Wenger isn't a stranger in the Mbappe household.

The Arsenal manager revealed that he paid Kylian Mbappe a visit last year at his home in a bid to sign the AS Monaco star when his contract with the French side neared its conclusion.

The visit occurred well before Mbappe evolved into one of the world's highest-rated prospects following his superb display with Monaco in Ligue 1 and the Champions League.

Despite coming close to getting him to put pen on paper, Wenger missed out on a player that many expect to fetch a massive transfer fee for Monaco if he's sold this summer.

"The player would tell you that I was at his home last year to try to get him here because he was at the end of (his) contract, but Monaco managed to keep him and the decision was very, very tight," Wenger said in an interview with beIN SPORTS.

"But I could understand it as well because he was educated there and at the end decided to stay there."

Wenger revealed earlier this season that he has been monitoring Mbappe, but later admitted that Arsenal runs the risk of being priced out during a bidding war for the 18-year-old.

The bidding has apparently started, with the Guardian reporting Wednesday that Manchester United's initial bid worth £72 million had been rejected by Monaco.

While Wenger is still open to the possibility of acquiring an elite striker such as Mbappe, the French manager is aware that the decision is ultimately out of his control.

"I don't know, that is down to him.

"But today he will decide where he goes, because he can say Real Madrid maybe, Barcelona maybe, Arsenal, Manchester -- he can go where he wants."