Kylian Mbappe has revealed that his mother wanted him to join Liverpool instead of Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, telling The Athletic that she “fell in love” with Anfield during negotiations.

Mbappe's account provides his side of a transfer saga that Jurgen Klopp has previously discussed from Liverpool's perspective, offering new details about how close the forward came to joining the club.

How Mbappe's Mother Nearly Changed His Decision

Mbappe was 18 and playing for Monaco when the decision was made. He described his mother as a “big fan of Jurgen Klopp” and said Liverpool was her “favourite destination” for him. She travelled to Anfield alone during the talks, watching matches and imagining her son playing there.

"All the time we were talking," Mbappe said. "'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."

He chose Paris anyway. "I didn't listen because I wanted to play in my city," he said. "I didn't want to leave my country before I was someone."

Klopp has also described Liverpool's efforts to sign Mbappé that summer, including a private-jet trip arranged so he could meet the player's family without being seen.

“We flew in circles — it was great — and then he went to Paris,” Klopp said.

How A Completed Deal Could Have Reshaped Liverpool's Front Three

Mbappe's decision came in the same transfer window that Liverpool signed Mohamed Salah from Roma on 23 June 2017. Roberto Firmino switched to the number nine shirt that summer to accommodate Salah, who took No. 11.

A completed transfer would have put Salah, Sadio Mane and Mbappe in the same Liverpool attack before any of them turned 25.

The three forwards could have formed a different combination from the one that eventually helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020, but there is no way to know how Klopp would have used them together.

The move never reached that stage, with Liverpool's interest ending before terms were discussed.

What Liverpool's 2025 Rebuild Suggests About The Alternate Timeline

Klopp left Liverpool in the summer of 2024 after announcing in January that he was “running out of energy”. He said the decision was personal and not based on tactical reasons.

There is no way to know whether signing Mbappé in 2017 would have changed that decision.

Liverpool's attack has since undergone another major rebuild. The club signed Alexander Isak from Newcastle for a British-record £125 million on deadline day in September 2025, after also bringing in Florian Wirtz for an initial £100 million and Hugo Ekitike that summer.

Those arrivals followed the departures of Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez.

Had Mbappe already been leading Liverpool's attack by that point, the club could have approached the 2025 transfer window differently. The need to sign Isak may not have existed in the same form.

None of this changes Mbappé's actual career. He built his career in Paris before moving to Madrid, while Liverpool went on to solve their attacking needs without him. His new comments do, however, add detail to a transfer that could have taken his career in a very different direction.

Liverpool were seriously involved, his mother preferred the club, and Mbappé ultimately chose Paris Saint-Germain.