Since 2024 now, Kylian Mbappé has been stacking goals for Real Madrid. And even if PSG have won two Champions Leagues in two years since his departure, the Bondynois remains convinced that he made the right decision by signing for Real Madrid. Just as he is satisfied to have passed through PSG during his career. After a huge half-season with Monaco in 2016-2017 at just 18 years old, the striker had the biggest clubs in the world on his tail. Besides PSG, Liverpool were hot on the issue. In an interview given to The Athletic this Tuesday, the 2018 world champion explains that his mother Fayza Lamari was determined to see him join the Reds that summer: “it was when I was playing in Monaco. I had to make a decision. And yes, Liverpool really tempted me. My mother was a big fan of Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool was her favorite destination. She wanted me to go. 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 mother always said to me: “Liverpool! You’re going to be there, playing at Anfield, it’s going to be incredible for you! » I replied: “OK! » She went there for the first stage of the negotiations. She went to town, to the stadium, she met people. She said: “It’s a great club, everyone is so nice, it’s a family club, a great club. “She went to Anfield and fell in love with it. She attended a few games alone, to soak up the atmosphere, because she wanted to imagine me in that stadium.”
Finally, after weeks of negotiations, Mbappé joined PSG. However, until a blunder by Klopp who revealed the existence of negotiations with Mbappé, no one was aware of these behind-the-scenes negotiations. In this Tuesday’s interview, Mbappé returned to the reasons which pushed him to sign in Paris, but also the crazy negotiations which took place in a private jet far from all eyes: “We couldn’t stop talking. “What do you think, Mom?” She said to me: “For me, you have to go to Liverpool.” I said, “Okay, okay, okay!” because Jürgen Klopp was an exceptional coach. I met him and had a great relationship with him. I had great respect for him. I remember we were on the plane and walking around in circles while he explained his project to me. I told him: “No need to convince me. You are Jürgen Klopp, it’s Liverpool, a big club, so obviously, if I’m here, it’s because I’m interested. But I have other things, other projects, just as interesting.” I added: “Whatever my decision is, it will be the right one, because we are talking about the biggest clubs in the world.” It’s a funny story. But in the end, I decided to go to PSG because for me, born and raised in Paris, there was no better feeling than showing that I could be a star in my hometown. A choice that is an integral part of its history.
