Mbappé reveals he came close to joining Liverpool before PSG move

Kylian Mbappé has said he came very close to signing for Liverpool while he was still playing for Monaco. Before joining Paris Saint-Germain, the French forward could have headed to Anfield, to the team then managed by Jürgen Klopp.

His decision to join PSG in 2017 also marked the first of several unsuccessful attempts by Real Madrid to sign him. “It happened a long time ago, when I was at Monaco. I had to make a decision and I came very close to Liverpool,” Mbappé said. “My mother was a big fan of Klopp and that was her preferred destination. She wanted me to go there.”

The player said he did not consider the offer because he wanted to play in his city, Paris, and did not want to leave his country before developing further. He nevertheless recalled his mother’s insistence: “Liverpool, you will play at Anfield, it will be crazy for you.”

His mother had travelled to Liverpool to begin talks with the club and was won over by what she saw there. “She went to Liverpool and fell in love. She attended several matches to see the atmosphere and because she wanted to imagine what it would be like for me to be in that stadium,” said the current Real Madrid player.

In 2017, Mbappé ultimately chose PSG, despite Monaco having reached an agreement with Real Madrid for a €180 million transfer, as Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev confirmed several months later. The player also met Klopp during that period, but no agreement was reached with Liverpool.

His move to PSG was structured as a loan with no fee, alongside a commitment to pay €180 million in 2018. After four seasons in Paris, he eventually joined Real Madrid in 2024.