Mbappe Says He Was Close to Joining Liverpool in 2016

Kylian Mbappe has disclosed that he was very close to signing with Liverpool in 2016, a move his mother strongly advocated for. At 18, while playing for Monaco, Mbappe considered a transfer to the English club.

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had previously detailed the club's efforts to recruit Mbappe, which included arranging a private jet for the player and his family. Despite these overtures, Mbappe ultimately chose to join Paris Saint-Germain.

Speaking to The Athletic, Mbappe stated that his mother, a "big fan" of Liverpool and Klopp, was keen on him moving to Merseyside. "I was close to [joining] Liverpool. The favourite destination for my mum was Liverpool. She wanted me to go there," he said.

However, Mbappe explained his decision to stay in France. "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 visited Liverpool as part of the initial negotiation process. "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'," Mbappe recalled. "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."

Klopp corroborated the story, recounting how a private jet flew Mbappe and his family from France. "We really went all out. Then we flew around in a circle, talked with the family, ate good food," Klopp said, adding that the meeting did not result in a transfer. "And then he went to Paris."

Mbappe reflected on the decision, calling it "a funny story." He added, "But 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."

Following his time in Paris, where he became the club's record scorer, Mbappe moved to Real Madrid in 2024.