Kylian Mbappé has detailed how his mother "fell in love" with Anfield and pushed for him to join Liverpool in 2017 before he chose Paris Saint-Germain. The France star, then 18 at Monaco, confirmed he was "close to Liverpool" and recalled his mother attending matches alone to imagine him playing there. Former Liverpool head coach Jürgen Klopp previously described the pursuit as the "most expensive non-transfer," revealing a Liverpool entourage flew from Blackpool to Nice on a private jet with five rooms to meet Mbappé's family. "We just flew in circles, talked with the family, and had a delicious meal," Klopp said.

Mbappé told The Athletic his mother was a big fan of Klopp and repeatedly urged him to choose Liverpool, calling it a "wonderful club" and "family club." However, Mbappé opted for PSG to become a star in his hometown, joining on loan with an €180 million permanent option. He later moved to Real Madrid in 2024. Mbappé won the 2018 World Cup as a teenager and became the tournament's all-time top scorer, surpassing Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi, before France lost to eventual champions Spain in the semifinals.