There are plenty of transfer stories that Liverpool supporters can look back on and wonder “what if?”
But Kylian Mbappé has just added another fascinating chapter to one of them.
The Real Madrid superstar has revealed that he was close to joining Liverpool as an 18-year-old, and perhaps the most interesting part of his story is that his mother actually wanted him to move to Anfield.
Speaking to The Athletic, Mbappé opened up about the decision he faced while he was still starring for Monaco in 2017.
“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.”
For Liverpool supporters, that’s quite some revelation.
Mbappé’s Mum Fell in Love With Liverpool
Mbappé explained that his mother, Fayza Lamari, was involved in the early negotiations and travelled to Liverpool to get a feel for the club.
She visited Anfield, met people at the club and even watched matches in the stadium.
The impression she got was clearly a very positive one.
Mbappé recalled how she described Liverpool as a wonderful, family-orientated club and told him that playing at Anfield would be an incredible experience.
She even imagined what it would be like watching her son play there.
It wasn’t simply a case of Liverpool being another club interested in a highly-rated youngster.
For Mbappé’s family, Anfield had clearly made a lasting impression.
Jürgen Klopp Tried to Convince Him
Liverpool weren’t just interested from a distance either.
Mbappé revealed that he met Jürgen Klopp, with the then-Liverpool manager attempting to explain his vision for the French teenager.
The meeting took place on a private plane, with Klopp talking Mbappé through his plans for him and for Liverpool.
Mbappé admitted he had huge respect for Klopp and clearly had plenty of admiration for the club.
But ultimately, there was another factor that proved decisive.
Mbappé Wanted Paris
Despite his mother’s preference for Liverpool, Mbappé decided that he wasn’t ready to leave France.
Having been born and raised in Paris, he wanted to establish himself in his home city before eventually taking the next step in his career.
That decision led him to Paris Saint-Germain rather than Liverpool.
He initially joined PSG on loan from Monaco before making the move permanent the following year.
The rest, of course, is football history.
Mbappé became PSG’s all-time leading goalscorer before eventually leaving France for Real Madrid in 2024.
Just Imagine Mbappé at Liverpool
This is where Liverpool supporters can have a little fun with the “what if?”
Imagine an 18-year-old Mbappé arriving at Anfield in 2017.
Liverpool had already signed Mohamed Salah that summer, with Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané also part of Klopp’s attack.
Instead of eventually developing into one of the world’s greatest forwards at PSG and Real Madrid, Mbappé could have been learning Klopp’s football at Liverpool.
Just imagine that front line.
Salah. Mbappé. Mané.
It is almost frightening to think about.
And while we will never know exactly how things would have developed, Mbappé’s latest comments confirm something Liverpool fans have suspected for years:
The Reds really were close.
Liverpool Ultimately Had to Move On
Of course, Liverpool didn’t spend years regretting the decision.
Salah arrived from Roma that same summer and went on to become one of the greatest players in the club’s history.
Firmino, Salah and Mané subsequently formed one of the most devastating attacking trios in Premier League football.
Together they helped Liverpool win the Champions League and Premier League, among other major honours.
So while Liverpool missed out on Mbappé, Klopp certainly didn’t end up short of attacking talent.
Still, there is something wonderfully intriguing about knowing that Mbappé’s own mother wanted him to become a Liverpool player.
And somewhere in an alternate football universe, perhaps she got her wish.
The Kopite View
I’ve always loved Liverpool’s transfer “what if?” stories, but this one is right up there.
It wasn’t simply a case of Liverpool being linked with Mbappé.
He has now confirmed himself that he was close to joining the Reds, that his mum wanted him to go to Liverpool, and that he personally met Klopp to discuss the move.
Ultimately, Mbappé chose Paris because he wanted to become a star in his home city.
You can’t really blame him for that decision.
But imagine if he’d listened to his mum.
Mbappé at Anfield under Klopp alongside Salah and Mané?
Now that really would have been something.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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