Kylian Mbappe reveals mother urged him to seal Liverpool transfer before PSG switch

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has opened up about how close he came to signing for Liverpool in 2017, revealing that his mother and agent, Fayza Lamari, was desperate for him to move to Anfield after falling in love with the club and manager Jurgen Klopp.

The French superstar emerged as one of world football's most coveted talents during his breakout campaign with Monaco, registering 27 goals and 13 assists in 60 appearances. That form sparked an intense race for his signature across Europe, with Liverpool among the frontrunners pushing hard to secure his services.

Jurgen Klopp's Direct Pursuit

Jurgen Klopp personally led Liverpool's transfer push, flying on a private plane to Nice alongside club officials to hold discussions with Mbappe and his mother. Speaking in an interview with The Athletic, Mbappe detailed just how enamoured his mother was with the Merseyside club.

"It was while I was playing in Monaco. I had to take a decision," Mbappe said. "And yes, I was close to Liverpool. My mum was a big fan of Jurgen Klopp and the favourite destination for my mum was Liverpool. She wanted me to go there.

"She went there for the first step of negotiations. She went to the city, she went to the stadium, she met the people. She was like, 'It's a wonderful club, everybody's so kind, it's a family club, a big club.' 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."

Hometown Call Proved Decisive

Despite his mother's strong preference and immense mutual respect between Mbappe and Klopp, the forward chose to return to his roots by joining Paris Saint-Germain, initially on loan before making the move permanent.

"I didn't listen because I wanted to play in my city, in Paris. I didn't want to leave my country before I was someone," Mbappe explained. "I said [to Klopp], 'You don't need to convince me. You're Jurgen Klopp, it's Liverpool, a great club, so if I'm here, I have some interest. But I have other things, other projects, that are also good.'

"It's a funny story. But in the end, I took the decision to go to PSG because for me, born and raised in Paris, there was no better feeling than to show I could be a star in my hometown."

Mbappe went on to enjoy a record-breaking spell in the French capital, scoring 256 goals across 308 appearances and winning 15 domestic trophies before completing his long-awaited switch to Real Madrid in 2024.