I Was Close To Liverpool — Mbappé Reveals Why He Rejected Klopp’s Reds

Kylian Mbappé has revealed that he came close to joining Liverpool in 2016 while playing for Monaco, but ultimately chose to remain in France and later move to Paris Saint-Germain.

The France and Real Madrid forward was just 18 at the time and had attracted significant interest from Liverpool, then managed by Jurgen Klopp. According to Bush Radio Academy, Mbappé disclosed that his mother strongly favoured a move to Liverpool because she was a major admirer of Klopp.

Mbappé explained that his mother wanted him to continue his career at Anfield, but he decided against the move because he wanted to establish himself in his hometown of Paris before leaving France.

He said his mother even travelled to Liverpool during the early stages of negotiations and visited Anfield, where she watched matches and experienced the atmosphere as she imagined her son playing for the club.

Mbappé revealed that despite his mother’s preference, he felt remaining in Paris was the right decision for him at that stage of his career. He wanted to become an established player in his own city and country before considering a move abroad.

Klopp later disclosed that Liverpool had made significant efforts to convince Mbappé and his family to choose the Premier League club. The former Liverpool manager recalled that the club arranged a private jet to transport the Mbappé family and held extensive discussions with them as part of the recruitment process.

Despite Liverpool’s efforts, the transfer did not materialise. Mbappé eventually joined Paris Saint-Germain on loan in 2017 before completing a permanent move to the French club in a deal reportedly worth €180 million.

During his seven-year spell at PSG, Mbappé became the club’s record goalscorer and established himself as one of the leading players in world football. He eventually left France for Real Madrid in 2024, completing the move after years of speculation over his future.

The revelation has now provided fresh insight into how close Liverpool came to signing Mbappé during the early stages of his career, before the forward ultimately chose to remain in France.