Mbappe reveals his mother urged him to join Liverpool after falling in love with Anfield

Kylian Mbappe has admitted he was on the verge of joining Liverpool in 2017, revealing that his mother visited Anfield alone, attended matches to soak up the atmosphere, and consistently urged him to sign for Jurgen Klopp — before he ultimately chose a loan move to Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco.

Speaking to The Athletic, the Real Madrid and France forward recalled the moment in detail. “I had to make 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,” Mbappe said.

His mother’s conviction went beyond casual preference. “She went there. She went to the city, to the stadium and 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.”

Mbappe also confirmed a personal meeting with Klopp, describing the German as “an amazing manager” with whom he shared “a wonderful relationship” and “big respect.” The encounter reportedly took place on a private jet.

Despite his mother’s enthusiasm and his own admiration for Klopp, Mbappe chose to remain in France. “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,” he explained. He joined PSG on an initial loan before the move was made permanent, going on to score 256 goals in 308 appearances and win six Ligue 1 titles with the club before departing for Real Madrid this summer.

The disclosure arrives as Liverpool, now managed by Andoni Iraola, sit unbeaten through seven matches across all competitions this season. Iraola’s side have won two and drawn three of their opening Premier League fixtures, also claiming victories in the Carabao Cup and Champions League. Their most recent result was a 1-0 win at Bournemouth, Iraola’s former club. Liverpool’s next fixture is against Manchester City on October 11.