I was close to joining Liverpool in 2016 – Mbappe

In 2016, young football prodigy Kylian Mbappe found himself on the brink of signing for Liverpool, according to the French international who now plays for Real Madrid. The eagerly anticipated move came despite his mother's strong desire for him to join the English club. Mbappe's mother, a devout fan of Liverpool's rival, Anfield, had fallen head over heels for the club during her visits to the stadium.

She was reportedly "speechless" with the idea of her son playing in the famous venue, and even visited Liverpool to get a sense of the atmosphere.

The French star's father, however, was adamant that Mbappe should stay in his hometown of Paris, where he could build a career and showcase his talents in front of his home crowd. This preference ultimately led to Mbappe choosing Paris Saint-Germain as his destination.

Liverpool's then-manager, Jurgen Klopp, revealed on Magenta TV that the club went above and beyond to secure the signature of the promising teenager. The talks took place in France, where Mbappe and his family were flown on a private jet complete with five rooms and a lavish dining experience. The club even attempted to visit Anfield to gauge the club's atmosphere firsthand, but the negotiation ultimately fell through.

Despite his mother's efforts to convince him otherwise, Mbappe followed his heart and chose Paris Saint-Germain. The move proved to be the right one for the young star, who went on to become the club's all-time top scorer and helped them achieve unprecedented success. In 2024, Mbappe made a high-profile departure from PSG, joining Real Madrid in a €165.7 million transfer.