Kylian Mbappé's Near Move to Liverpool: A Missed Opportunity

Kylian Mbappé stood on the brink of Anfield once.

Long before the white of Real Madrid, before the record-breaking years in Paris, the French forward admits his career could have taken a sharp turn towards Merseyside. Speaking to The Athletic, the 2018 World Cup winner revealed he came close to joining Liverpool while still at AS Monaco — and the pull came from home.

"My mum's favourite destination was Liverpool; she wanted me to go there," Mbappé said. "There was a time, when I was at Monaco, when I had to make a decision and I was close to joining Liverpool. My mum was a big fan of Jürgen Klopp, and he's an amazing manager. I met him and I have a wonderful relationship with him. I have great respect for him."

It was not a passing flirtation. Mbappé sat down for a long conversation with Klopp, the German coach who would go on to cement his status as a modern Liverpool icon. The project, the manager, the club — all of it appealed. At home, his mother pushed hard for Anfield.

But the final call belonged to the player.

"I didn't listen to (my mum). I wanted to go to my city, Paris. I wanted to play in my own country. I didn't want to leave my country."

That decision reshaped European football. Instead of heading to the Premier League, Mbappé joined Paris Saint-Germain in a €180 million move and spent seven seasons tearing through French defences. He left as PSG’s all-time leading scorer, with 256 goals and 110 assists in 308 appearances, stacking up domestic trophies and personal milestones in the capital.

From Monaco prodigy to Paris superstar and now Real Madrid forward, Mbappé’s path is already one of the defining journeys of his generation. Yet somewhere in that story, there is a version of him in red, sprinting towards the Kop under Klopp.

Football chose another script.