By Adegboyega Adeleye
Kylian Mbappe has revealed he was close to joining Liverpool in 2016, but turned down the move despite his mother’s strong desire for him to play at Anfield.
The France and Real Madrid striker made the revelation in an interview with The Athletic, recalling Liverpool’s attempts to sign him while he was playing for Monaco.
Mbappe said his mother was a big fan of former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and wanted him to move to Merseyside.
“I was close to [joining] Liverpool. The favourite destination for my mum was Liverpool. She wanted me to go there,” Mbappe 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.
“But yes, my mum was always saying, ‘Liverpool – you’re going to be there, playing at Anfield, it’s going to be insane for you’.”
The 27-year-old revealed that his mother even travelled to Liverpool during the early stages of negotiations, visiting the city and Anfield before meeting people at the club.
“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.
“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.”
Mbappe also recalled how he met Klopp during Liverpool’s efforts to convince him to join the club.
Former Liverpool manager Klopp had previously revealed that the club went to extraordinary lengths to negotiate with Mbappe and his family, including arranging a private jet for the meeting.
According to Klopp, the Liverpool delegation flew from Blackpool to Nice in France, where Mbappe and his family boarded the private jet.
“We really went all out. Then we flew around in a circle, talked with the family, ate good food,” Klopp said.
Mbappe recalled the unusual meeting with Klopp, saying they flew around while the former Liverpool boss explained his plans for him.
“I said to him, ‘You don’t need to convince me. You’re Jurgen 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.
Despite Liverpool’s efforts and his mother’s preference, Mbappe eventually chose Paris Saint-Germain.
“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.
Mbappe joined PSG from Monaco on loan in 2017, with the deal including an option for the transfer to become permanent for €180 million.
He spent seven years at the French club, becoming its record goalscorer before leaving for Real Madrid in 2024.
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