Kylian Mbappe has revealed that his mother “fell in love” with Liverpool during negotiations over a potential move to Anfield before he ultimately chose to join Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappe was one of the most sought-after young players in Europe when he left Monaco in 2017, with Liverpool among the clubs attempting to convince the France international to continue his career on Merseyside.
The forward has now explained that he was “close to Liverpool”, with his mother particularly keen on the idea of seeing her son play at Anfield.
“It was while I was playing in Monaco. I had to take a decision. And yes, I was close to Liverpool. My mum was a big fan of Jürgen Klopp and the favourite destination for my mum was Liverpool. She wanted me to go there.
“I didn’t listen because I wanted to play in my city, Paris. I didn’t want to leave my country before I was someone. But yes, my mum was always saying ‘Liverpool – you’re going to be there, playing at Anfield, it’s going to be insane for you.’ I was like, ‘OK!'”
Mbappe’s mother even travelled to Liverpool as part of the early negotiations, visiting the city and Anfield before returning to discuss the possibility with her son.
“She went there [for] the first step of the 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.”
Klopp went all out to convince Mbappe
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has previously revealed just how far the club went in an attempt to sign Mbappe.
Speaking while working as a pundit during the World Cup, Klopp recalled how a Liverpool delegation travelled from Blackpool to Nice to meet Mbappe and his family on a private jet.
“Liverpool really pulled out all the stops,” Klopp said. “We just flew in circles, talked with the family, and had a delicious meal. We weren’t allowed to be seen.
“We flew in circles – it was great – and then he went to Paris!”
Mbappe also remembered the unusual meeting, explaining how Klopp used the flight to outline Liverpool’s plans for his future.
“I remember we were on the plane and we were turning around and around in the air while he was explaining his project,” Mbappe said.
“I said, ‘You don’t need to convince me. You’re Jürgen Klopp, it’s Liverpool, a great club, so of course if I’m here, I have some interest. But I have other things, other projects, that are also good.’
“I said to him, ‘Whatever decision I take is going to be a good decision because we are talking about some of the biggest clubs in the world.'”
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