Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal should be in the running to sign Kylian Mbappe from Paris St Germain this summer.
The France forward, who has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, announced on Thursday that he will leave the Ligue 1 champions when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Arteta feels that signing Mbappe would match Arsenal's ambitions of becoming the "best team".
When asked if Arsenal should be interested in the 25-year-old, Arteta said: "Absolutely. Why not? If we want to be the best team then we are going to need the best talent and the best players for sure.
"When there is a player of that calibre then we always need to be in the conversation but it looks like (his future) is in a different way."
Arteta says Arsenal are heading into the most important part of the season ahead of their Premier League clash with Burnley.
The title-chasing Gunners currently sit third, two points behind leaders Liverpool, after extending their impressive run to four straight league wins following a dominant 6-0 victory at West Ham.
Arteta highlighted the importance of claiming three points at Turf Moor and to keep up their consistent form during the final 14 league matches.
"It’s the most important part of the season and every fixture will play a significant role in what we want to achieve," Arteta said.
"Burnley at the moment are a team which are extremely difficult to beat if you look at the results and how teams have drawn or beaten them by small margins.
"They are extremely well coached and are a team that are very competitive, so we know that we have a very tough match on Saturday and we need to play with the same energy and enthusiasm.
"We want to be there (title race) and it means we have done a lot right during the season.
"We have shown a big level of consistency in the team, we want to take a step forward and maintain the consistency."
Burnley, who sit seven points from safety, have struggled in their first season back in the Premier League.
Arteta showed his admiration for Clarets manager Vincent Kompany, lauding his "special aura" ahead of Saturday’s clash.
The Arsenal manager coached the former Manchester City captain when he was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad Stadium between 2016 and 2019.
"We know each other really well and I have huge respect for him, we had a really good relationship when we worked together," Arteta added.
"I have a huge admiration for him when he was a player and he has a special aura around him. He has great ideas and a vision of how to play the game.
"What they did in the Championship last season (winning the league by 10 points) was phenomenal in a record season. To do that you need to be exceptional (as a coach). He has courage and his work ethic is phenomenal."
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson's love of the game will see him determined to return to the dugout as soon as he is well enough, according to Mikel Arteta.
Hodgson fell ill during training on Thursday and was taken to hospital for further tests, with his condition later being described as "stable" by the Premier League club.
Palace said today that there was no further update on the situation, amid reports the 76-year-old was considering taking a break from the game after being in hospital for tests.
Hodgson had been set to speak at a scheduled press conference at 1.30pm on Thursday ahead of the upcoming match at Everton on Monday night, but members of the media waiting outside Palace’s training ground in New Beckenham were informed the briefing would not take place.
According to reports, Palace are set to sack Hodgson, with former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner a strong favourite to take the job.
Arsenal beat Palace 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium on 20 January, which was the start of a four-game winning streak as they look to keep up the pace in the title race.
Arteta wished former England boss Hodgson a swift recovery, and understands what the pressures of the job can bring at both ends of the table.
"Hopefully, he’s feeling much better and if that’s the case, knowing Roy, I think he will be in tomorrow because he loves it so much," the Arsenal manager said at a press conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to Burnley.
"But yeah, we all got really worried with the situation and hopefully he is fine."
On the stresses managers work under, Arteta added: "There is that part, but there is the part of joy and how beautiful our jobs are as well.
"A lot of times (pressure) is in relation to where you are, but it is part of the job."
