Kylian Mbappe reportedly turned down the idea of joining Liverpool when presented with the option amid his saga with Real Madrid.
A detailed report on The Athletic, which goes deep into the Kylian Mbappe-Real Madrid saga, suggests the Frenchman turned down a move to Liverpool. There are no indications of the Reds making an offer, but the attacker preferred a move to Madrid over anywhere else.
In the summer of 2022, Paris Saint-Germain stirred controversy after reportedly rejecting a mega offer of close to €200 million for Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman had entered the final year of his contract in Paris and was favourite to head to the Spanish capital.
For months, Madrid chased Mbappe to be their next galactico. There were public admissions from Florentino Perez over a desire to bring the World Cup finalist. Yet, in the end, he re-signed with PSG on a mega contract that made him the highest-paid footballer in the World.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent deal with Al-Nassr makes him the highest-paid athlete in any sport, but that Mbappe deal was groundbreaking then. He signed a lucrative deal amid reported political pressure from France and Qatar.
🚨 NEW: Kylian Mbappe reportedly 'rejected' a potential move to Liverpool during the summer transfer window. #lfc [the athletic via liverpool echo] pic.twitter.com/jM4AfAqaSm
— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) January 18, 2023
Real Madrid remain open to reviving interest in the attacker but may have to bide their time to get him to Spain. They were the only club that could sign the 24-year-old on the terms PSG offered.
Real Madrid are reportedly preparing a mega offer to have another attempt at convincing PSG to let Mbappe go. The report also mentioned Liverpool’s name as a potential suitor in July. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and a consultant named Antero Henrique supposedly suggested the idea of a move to Merseyside. They did not want Mbappe to join Real Madrid.
They reportedly demanded around €400 million for the French attacker. Mbappe did not fancy the idea and swiftly turned it down to focus on making a critical future decision.
Back in the summer, Mbappe revealed he held talks with Liverpool, which confirms interest from the Merseysiders. Yet, the numbers quoted could not have been attainable for Liverpool. As mentioned before, only Real Madrid or PSG are in a position to make such a deal happen.
As for the World Cup finalist’s future, he remains at PSG for now. Whether a future move to Real Madrid materialises remains a big question. The Spanish giants will surely return to tempt him once again.
