Kylian Mbappé has revealed he came close to joining Liverpool in 2016 but rejected the move because he wanted to remain in Paris, despite his mother’s strong desire to see him play at Anfield.
The Real Madrid and France forward made the revelation in an interview with The Athletic, recalling Liverpool’s efforts to sign him while he was emerging at Monaco.
Mbappé said his mother was a major admirer of former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp and saw Anfield as the ideal destination for her son.
“I was close to [joining] Liverpool. The favourite destination for my mum was Liverpool. She wanted me to go there,” Mbappé said.
“I didn’t listen because I wanted to play in my city, Paris. I didn’t want to leave my country before I was someone.”
His mother, he recalled, was particularly enthusiastic about the possibility of seeing him play at Anfield.
“Liverpool – you’re going to be there, playing at Anfield, it’s going to be insane for you,” Mbappé recalled her telling him.
She even travelled to Liverpool during the negotiations, visiting the city and stadium and meeting club officials.
“She went to the city, the stadium, she met the people. She was like, ‘it’s a wonderful club, everybody’s so kind, it’s a family club, a big club’,” he said.
Mbappé said she watched several matches at Anfield to experience the atmosphere and imagine her son playing there.
“She went to Anfield and fell in love with it. She watched a few games alone, to feel the atmosphere, because she wanted to imagine me in this stadium,” he said.
Liverpool also made a major effort to persuade the young forward and his family, with Klopp previously recalling that the club arranged a private jet for a meeting.
According to Klopp, Liverpool’s delegation flew from Blackpool to Nice, where Mbappé and his family joined them for discussions.
“We really went all out. Then we flew around in a circle, talked with the family, ate good food,” Klopp said.
Mbappé also remembered the unusual meeting with Klopp, saying the former Liverpool manager used the flight to explain his plans for him.
“I said to him, ‘You don’t need to convince me. You’re Jürgen Klopp, it’s Liverpool, a great club, so of course if I’m here, I have some interest. But I have other things, other projects, that are also good,’” he said.
Liverpool’s efforts ultimately failed to sway him.
Mbappé chose Paris Saint-Germain, saying his priority was to establish himself in his home city.
“In the end, I took the decision to go to PSG because for me, born and raised in Paris, there was no better feeling than to show I could be a star in my hometown,” he said.
Mbappé joined PSG from Monaco on loan in 2017, with the move including an option that became a permanent transfer for €180 million.
He spent seven years at the Paris club, becoming its record goalscorer before leaving for Real Madrid in 2024.
