From BBC Sport · · 1m 20s
Mbappe almost joined Liverpool in 2016
The Real Madrid star reveals how close he came to signing for the Reds as an 18-year-old, and why his mother wanted him to move to Anfield.
In brief
The Real Madrid star reveals how close he came to signing for the Reds as an 18-year-old, and why his mother wanted him to move to Anfield. Mbappe turned down Liverpool at 18 because he wanted to prove himself in Paris first, despite his mother's strong preference for the Merseyside club. Originally reported by BBC…
Mbappe was close to Liverpool
At 18, while playing for Monaco, Mbappe nearly joined Liverpool. The club made a serious push to sign him, but he chose Paris Saint-Germain instead.
“I was close to [joining] Liverpool. The favourite destination for my mum was Liverpool.”
His mother loved Anfield
Mbappe's mum was a big fan of Jurgen Klopp and wanted her son to move to Liverpool. She visited Anfield, watched games, and fell in love with the club.
“She went to Anfield and fell in love with it. She watched a few games alone, to feel the atmosphere.”
Liverpool pulled out all stops
Klopp revealed the club sent a private jet from Blackpool to Nice to collect Mbappe's family. They flew in circles while discussing the move and serving good food.
“We really went all out. Then we flew around in a circle, talked with the family, ate good food.”
He chose Paris instead
Mbappe decided to join PSG because he wanted to prove himself as a star in his hometown. Born and raised in Paris, he felt there was no better feeling than succeeding there.
“I took the decision to go to PSG because for me, born and raised in Paris, there was no better feeling.”
Seven years at PSG
Mbappe joined PSG on loan with a 180 million euro option to buy. He spent seven years there, becoming the club's record scorer before moving to Real Madrid in 2024.
The takeaway
Mbappe turned down Liverpool at 18 because he wanted to prove himself in Paris first, despite his mother's strong preference for the Merseyside club.
