Kylian Mbappe admits he ‘didn’t listen’ to his mother over plans to sign for Liverpool.
Mbappe was in line for a move to Anfield in summer 2017 with Jurgen Klopp describing the move as ‘the most expensive non-transfer we’ve ever made’.
Klopp estimated the entire process, which included talks aboard a private jet, cost €500 million (£428M) in attempts to convince the then Monaco forward.
The France international confirmed in 2022 that he had discussed a possible deal with the Reds as his mother and agent Fayza Lamari’s ‘favourite club’.
But Mbappe has now outlined the reasons why he ultimately joined Paris Saint-Germain on an initial season-long loan that was later made permanent.
“Yes, I was close to Liverpool,” he told the Athletic.
“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, 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.
“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.”
Mbappe also detailed the conversation he had with Klopp in Liverpool’s unsuccessful attempt to land one of European football’s hottest talents.
He added: “I remember we were on the plane and we were turning around and around in the air while he was explaining his project.
“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. 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.”