Mbappé Says His Mother Wanted Liverpool in 2016, But He Chose Paris Saint-Germain

Mbappé’s Anfield near-miss

Kylian Mbappé said he was close to joining Liverpool in 2016, explaining that his mother wanted him to go to Anfield while he was playing for Monaco in Ligue 1.

Mbappé told The Athletic that he went against that advice because he wanted to play in his city, Paris, and he said, "I was close to [joining] Liverpool. The favourite destination for my mum was Liverpool."

Mbappé added that his mother went to Liverpool for the "first step" of the negotiation, visiting the city and the stadium and meeting people before she watched games alone to imagine him in the stadium.

Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool laid on a private jet and food for Mbappé and his family in an attempt to sign him, and Klopp recalled, "We really went all out. Then we flew around in a circle, talked with the family, ate good food."

Mbappé said he ultimately took the decision to go to Paris Saint-Germain, and he later joined PSG on loan in a deal that included an option for the move to become permanent for 180m euros.

Reporting for this sectionBBCsportingtribune

Private jet talks

Mbappé described how his mother, Fayza Lamari, was determined that he join Liverpool that summer, and he said, "My mother was a big admirer of Jürgen Klopp, and Liverpool was her preferred destination." Mbappé said he went to Liverpool for the first phase of negotiations, and he described his mother meeting people and telling him, "it’s a wonderful club, everybody’s so kind, it’s a family club, a big club." Klopp said Liverpool arranged a flight from Blackpool to Nice in France, where "the entire Mbappe family boarded a private jet with five rooms or something" as talks played out away from prying eyes.

Mbappé said he met Klopp on the plane in mid-flight while Klopp explained his project, and Mbappé recalled telling him, "You are Jürgen Klopp, and it’s Liverpool, a great club, so of course, my presence here stems from my interest." Mbappé said the negotiations proved fruitless, and he said, "But in the end, I decided to go to Paris Saint-Germain" because he wanted to show he could be a star in his hometown.

Reporting for this sectionGoalBBC

From PSG to Real Madrid

Mbappé said he did not want to leave his country before he was someone, and he framed his choice as staying in Paris rather than taking the Liverpool route. Mbappé said his mother kept telling him that he would be at Anfield, and he quoted her telling him, "Liverpool will be there, you’ll play at Anfield, it’ll be wonderful for you." Mbappé said he joined Paris Saint-Germain after several weeks of negotiations, and he later left PSG for Real Madrid in 2024 after spending seven years in Paris.

Klopp said Liverpool tried to keep the meeting private, but Mbappé and Klopp both described the same unusual sequence, including the private-jet trip and the family-focused talks. Mbappé said his decision ultimately came down to proving himself in Paris, and he told The Athletic, "there was no better feeling than to show I could be a star in my hometown."

Reporting for this sectionGoalsportingtribune