Kylian Mbappe says he was close to joining Liverpool in 2016
Kylian Mbappe has said he came close to joining Liverpool in 2016 before choosing Paris St-Germain. Speaking in an interview reported by BBC on 22 September 2026, he said talks with Liverpool were real.
Mbappe said Liverpool was his mother's favourite destination for him. She was a big fan of Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool's manager at the time.
Former Liverpool boss Klopp said the club used a private jet and food in an attempt to sign Mbappe and his family. Mbappe said his mother travelled to Liverpool for the first step of negotiations.
She visited the city and the stadium, Anfield, Liverpool's home ground, and met people at the club. She watched games alone at Anfield to feel the atmosphere.
Mbappe said he chose Paris St-Germain because he wanted to play in his home city of Paris. He said he did not want to leave France before establishing himself as a first-team player.
He joined Paris St-Germain on loan, a temporary move, with an option to make the transfer permanent for 180 million euros. He spent seven years at PSG and became the club's record scorer before joining Real Madrid in 2024.
Klopp has described the chase before. In an account from July 2026, he said he flew around in a circle in a private plane with Mbappe and his family while Liverpool tried to make the case. It was an unusual sales pitch, even by football standards.
Mbappe has talked about Liverpool fondly for years. In January 2020, he described Klopp's team as a "machine" as they chased their first league title since 1990. Liverpool went on to win that title, their first of the Premier League era, the name given to England's top flight since 1992.
He has also named Liverpool during later decisions about his future. In May 2022, before extending his stay at PSG, he said Liverpool were one of the clubs he spoke to, according to Reuters. In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph that same month, he said he talked to Liverpool because his mother loves the club, adding that people would have to ask her why.
What makes this stand out is the personal detail behind a huge transfer. A mother travelling alone, sitting in a famous stand, trying to picture her son's future. It turns paperwork into a family story.
For fans, this leaves a lively what-if. Liverpool supporters can imagine Mbappe in red at Anfield. Paris supporters can point to seven record-breaking years, and Madrid supporters to what came next.
