In Madrid, where Kylian Mbappé has finally arrived after years of transfer intrigue, the France captain has looked back to a very different possible route across Europe: a move from Monaco to Liverpool, with Anfield once close to becoming his first major destination abroad.
Key takeaways
- Mbappé says Liverpool came close to signing him while he was still a Monaco player.
- His mother favoured a move to Merseyside and travelled to Liverpool to begin talks with the club.
- The forward met Jürgen Klopp, then Liverpool manager, during the discussions.
- Mbappé instead joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 because he wanted to remain in France and play in his home city.
- Monaco had also reached a €180 million agreement with Real Madrid before his PSG move.
Anfield was a serious option
Mbappé said the Liverpool possibility emerged at a decisive point in his rise, before he left Monaco following his breakthrough season. Klopp was leading Liverpool at the time, and the French forward described the club as one of the strongest alternatives available to him.
“It was a long time ago, when I was at Monaco,” Mbappé said. “I had a choice to make and Liverpool was very close.”
His mother, he explained, was particularly drawn to the prospect of him working under Klopp. She saw Liverpool as the ideal landing place and encouraged him to imagine playing in front of the Anfield crowd.
Mbappé said she visited the city, attended several matches and was captivated by the stadium atmosphere. The purpose of those visits was to understand what life and football might have looked like for her son on Merseyside.
The player himself also held talks with Klopp, but the discussions did not produce an agreement. Mbappé chose not to pursue the Liverpool proposal because he wanted more time in his own country before beginning an overseas chapter.
“I did not really listen to the offer because I wanted to play in Paris, my city,” he said. “I did not want to leave France before developing more.”
Paris first, Madrid later
The decision took Mbappé to PSG in 2017, although Monaco had previously agreed terms with Real Madrid for a transfer worth €180 million. Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev later confirmed that understanding, which would have brought the young forward to Spain far earlier than he eventually arrived.
Instead, PSG structured the deal as an initial loan without an immediate payment, followed by a commitment to complete a €180 million purchase in 2018. It was the first of several unsuccessful attempts by Real Madrid to bring Mbappé to the Santiago Bernabéu.
After seven seasons in Paris, Mbappé ultimately joined Real Madrid in 2024. The long-awaited move ended one of European football’s most prolonged transfer stories, while leaving Liverpool as one of the great near-misses of his career.
