Kylian Mbappe reveals why Paris Saint-Germain beat Liverpool to his signature

Kylian Mbappe has revealed that his mother wanted him to join Liverpool in 2017, but he chose Paris Saint-Germain because he wanted to establish himself in his home city.

The Real Madrid forward was 18 when he attracted interest from several of the world’s biggest clubs after an outstanding 2016-17 season with Monaco. Liverpool were among the clubs keen to sign him, while his mother, Fayza Lamari, was particularly enthusiastic about the possibility of a move to Anfield.

In an interview with The Athletic on Tuesday, Mbappe said: “I was playing for Monaco at the time and I had a decision to make. Liverpool were very tempting. My mum was a huge fan of Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool was her preferred destination. She wanted me to go there.”

Mbappe, who helped France win the 2018 World Cup, said his own priorities were different.

“I wasn’t listening to her because I wanted to play in my city, Paris,” he said. “I didn’t want to leave my country before I had become somebody. But my mum would always say to me: ‘Liverpool will be there, you’ll be playing at Anfield, it will be great for you.’ I would just reply: ‘OK.’”

Lamari travelled to Liverpool for the initial stage of negotiations, visiting the city and the stadium and meeting people at the club.

“She said: ‘It’s a great club, everyone is so nice, it’s a family club, a great club,’” Mbappe said.

“She went to Anfield and fell in love with it. She attended some matches on her own to enjoy the atmosphere because she wanted to imagine me playing in that stadium.”

Mbappe also recalled the detailed discussions he held with Klopp during negotiations, including a meeting on board a private plane away from public attention.

“We never stopped talking,” Mbappe said. “I would ask her, ‘What do you think, Mum?’ and she would say, ‘For me, you should go to Liverpool.’ I would answer: ‘OK, OK, OK.’”

He added: “Jurgen Klopp was an exceptional manager. I met him and we had an excellent relationship. I had a lot of respect for him. I remember we were on the plane, flying, and he was explaining his project to me.

“I said to him: ‘You don’t need to convince me. You are Jurgen Klopp and this is Liverpool, a big club, so of course I am here because I am interested. But I have other things and other projects that are just as important.’”

Mbappe said he told Klopp that either decision would be the right one because both clubs were among the biggest in the world.

After weeks of negotiations, he opted to join Paris Saint-Germain, where he played before later moving to Real Madrid.

“It’s a funny story,” Mbappe said. “But in the end, I decided to go to Paris Saint-Germain because, as someone who was born and raised in Paris, there was no greater feeling than proving I could become a star in my hometown.”