Kylian Mbappe has admitted he came close to joining Liverpool in 2017, confirming that talks took place during his final months at Monaco — and that his mother was the club's most passionate advocate inside his own family.
The 27-year-old made the disclosure in an interview with The Athletic, describing how his mother attended matches at Anfield by herself, eager to picture her son playing there. Despite her enthusiasm and a face-to-face meeting with Jurgen Klopp aboard a private jet, Mbappe ultimately chose Paris Saint-Germain, wanting first to make his name in his home city before moving abroad.
"It was while I was playing in Monaco. I had to take a decision. And yes, I was close to Liverpool. My mum was a big fan of Jürgen Klopp and the favourite destination for my mum was Liverpool. She wanted me to go there. I didn't listen because I wanted to play in my city, Paris. I didn't want to leave my country before I was someone," Mbappe told The Athletic.
Klopp, speaking as a pundit for Magenta TV at the 2026 World Cup, had already let slip the lengths Liverpool went to in pursuit of the teenager. A delegation flew from Blackpool to Nice, where Mbappe and his family boarded what Klopp described as a private jet with five rooms, and the meeting was deliberately kept airborne to avoid any public attention. Klopp called it the most expensive non-transfer the club had ever made.
"We really went all out. Then we flew around in a circle, talked with the family, ate good food," Klopp said. "We flew in a circle. It was fantastic. And then he went to Paris."
Mbappe's own recollection of that flight was warm but firm. He recalled being on the plane as it circled overhead while Klopp laid out his vision for the club, telling the then-Liverpool manager that there was no need to convince him — that Klopp and Liverpool spoke for themselves — but that other projects were also pulling at him. His mind, he explained, was already drawn towards the idea of proving himself as a star in the city where he grew up.
His mother's attachment to the club had been genuine. She visited the city, toured the stadium and watched several games on her own, wanting to sense the matchday atmosphere as she tried to picture Mbappe in a Liverpool shirt. She returned with a glowing verdict, describing it as a family club and a big club where everyone was kind. Yet her son's mind was already set on a different path.
Mbappe joined PSG on an initial loan in August 2017, aged 18, after contributing 27 goals and 16 assists in 60 matches for Monaco. PSG activated their €180 million option to sign him permanently in February 2018. He went on to appear 308 times for the club, scoring 256 goals and winning six league titles, before leaving for Real Madrid on a free transfer in July 2024.
Mbappe has since scored 94 goals in 111 games for Real Madrid. He also surpassed Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi to become the World Cup's all-time leading scorer, reaching 22 goals as France progressed to the semi-finals before losing to eventual champions Spain. He had previously won the tournament as a teenager in 2018.
The player acknowledged in 2022 that he had only seriously weighed PSG and Real Madrid at the time of his departure from Monaco, and has since confirmed that his closeness to Liverpool in 2017 was greater than any interest he had in the club during a second round of speculation in 2022, when he ultimately signed a contract extension at PSG.
Reporting: CaughtOffside, BBC, talkSPORT, TeamTalk, ESPN, Daily Mail, The Athletic, BBC Sport.