Mbappe reveals he was close to joining Liverpool in 2016
Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe reveals he almost joined Liverpool in 2016 after Jurgen Klopp flew his family out on a private jet.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Kylian Mbappe was close to joining Liverpool at age 18
- His mother fell in love with Anfield after visiting alone
- Jurgen Klopp arranged a private jet to meet the family
France and Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe has revealed that he was on the verge of joining Liverpool when he was 18 years old and playing for Monaco in Ligue 1, as the English club made a serious attempt to secure his signature early in his career.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, speaking as a pundit on Magenta TV during the 2026 World Cup, detailed the lengths the club went to behind the scenes. He explained that Liverpool arranged a private jet and food for Mbappe and his family in a discreet effort to negotiate the transfer away from the public eye.
The near-miss transfer in 2016 remains one of the most fascinating "what-if" scenarios in modern football. Had Mbappe chosen Anfield over Paris back then, the landscape of the Premier League and his own legendary career trajectory would have looked entirely different, highlighting Klopp's aggressive ambition to recruit Europe's elite young talent.
Speaking to the Athletic, Mbappe, now 27, shared that his mother was a massive fan of Klopp and strongly pushed for her son to make the move to Merseyside, even taking a solo trip to England for the initial negotiations.
"She went to Anfield and fell in love with it. She watched a few games alone, to feel the atmosphere, because she wanted to imagine me in this stadium."
Kylian Mbappe
Despite the private flight from Blackpool to Nice where the entire family boarded a spacious private jet with multiple rooms, and where they circled around discussing terms over good food, the discussions ultimately did not result in a transfer to England.
Mbappe ultimately chose to sign for Paris St-Germain, explaining that being born and raised in Paris made him want to prove he could become a star in his hometown. He spent seven years at PSG, becoming their all-time record scorer before eventually making his switch to Real Madrid in 2024 after a massive 180m euro (£165.7m) deal.
Source: BBC Sport
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