Kylian Mbappe explains why he rejected Liverpool move as an 18-year-old

Kylian Mbappe has revealed that Liverpool made a determined attempt to sign him from Monaco when he was 18, but he chose to remain in France and join Paris Saint-Germain instead.

Liverpool’s interest was especially attractive to Mbappe’s mother, who admired Jurgen Klopp and came to believe that Anfield was the best place for her son to continue his career.

She travelled to Liverpool, met members of the club and attended matches at Anfield. Mbappe said she “fell in love” with the stadium’s atmosphere and repeatedly urged him to accept the move to Merseyside.

The club also organised a private meeting involving Mbappe, his family and Klopp. The former Liverpool manager later recalled that the family boarded a private jet in Nice while he outlined his plans for the teenage forward.

“We really went all out,” Klopp said, describing how the group travelled around the south of France, discussed Liverpool’s project and shared a meal while attempting to keep the meeting away from public attention.

Mbappe also remembers the unusual recruitment effort. He said he and Klopp spent the flight talking about Liverpool’s ambitions and the role he could play at the club.

Although the forward admitted he was interested, he said his priority at the time was to stay close to his home city and family.

“I didn’t listen because I wanted to play in my city, Paris,” Mbappe said. “I didn’t want to leave my country before I was someone.”

Mbappe ultimately moved to Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco, initially joining on loan before the transfer was made permanent for 180 million euros.

The France international spent seven years with Paris Saint-Germain, becoming the club’s record goalscorer and winning six Ligue 1 titles. He then joined Real Madrid in 2024.

Looking back on the decision, Mbappe said the chance to establish himself as a leading player in his hometown was more important than moving abroad at that stage of his career.

“For me, born and raised in Paris, there was no better feeling than to show I could be a star in my hometown,” he said.