Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe reveals key reason behind Liverpool snub despite being "close to Anfield transfer

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe has revealed he was "close" to joining Liverpool rather than Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.

After making a name for himself as a highly rated youngster at Monaco, Mbappe joined PSG on an initial loan deal in 2017 before he made the move permanent the following year.

The forward spent seven years in the French capital before starting a new chapter of his career with Real Madrid in 2024.

Mbappe has now revealed that his career path could have panned out differently, explaining that his mum was keen for him to join Liverpool.

Mbappe admits he ignored his mum's wishes over "close" Liverpool move

“It was while I was playing in Monaco,” Mbappe told The Athletic. “I had to take a decision. 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.

“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!’

“She went there (for) the first step of the negotiations. She went to the city, 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.

“All the time we were talking. ‘What do you think, Mum?’ She’d say, ‘For me, you have to go to Liverpool. I said, ‘OK, OK, OK!’ because Jurgen Klopp was an amazing manager. I met him and had a wonderful relationship with him. I had big respect for him.”

Why did Mbappe decide on PSG switch?

Mbappe confirmed he held a meeting with Jurgen Klopp on a plan, but ultimately decided he wanted to become a "star" in his home city of Paris.

“I remember we were on the plane and we were turning around and around in the air while he was explaining his project,” Mbappe added.

“I said, ‘You don’t need to convince me. You’re Jurgen 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.’

“It’s a funny story (more circular motions). 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 home town.”

Will Mbappe ever play in the Premier League?

Mbappe has scored 94 goals in 111 competitive appearances since joining Real Madrid, but he is yet to win a major trophy with Los Blancos.

The Frenchman still has much to achieve before he can say his time with Real Madrid has been a success, with the Champions League likely to be top of his agenda.

There are certainly no signs that Mbappe will look to leave Los Blancos in the near future, but having admitted he sees the Premier League and La Liga as the best leagues in the world, he may want to try a new challenge in the English top flight before he reaches the latter stages of his career.

At the age of 27, he certainly still has enough time to win trophies with Real Madrid and head to the Premier League if he decides it is an opportunity he wants to pursue.