Liverpool Had Reached an Agreement to Sign Mbappe Before He Joined Real Madrid, Reveals Zack Oaten

Real Madrid made a major signing this summer, acquiring the talented French star. However, if circumstances had been different, Mbappe could have found himself wearing a Liverpool jersey instead.

A new report from L'Equipe has suggested the Reds had struck an agreement with the forward in a deal worth £168m but was then asked to double the fee by then sporting director Antero Henrique which the club felt was far too high, especially considering he could leave for free within two years.

Mbappe was dissatisfied with the sporting project at Paris Saint-Germain shortly after signing a contract extension in 2022 after the club promised to bring in the likes of Bernando Silva and Robert Lewandowski but failed to do so. 

Mbappe addressed the Liverpool rumours during a 2022 interview with the Telegraph. 

“We talked a little bit, but not too much. I talked to Liverpool because it's the favourite club of my mum, my mum loves Liverpool. I don't know why; you will have to ask her. It's a good club and we met them five years ago. When I was in Monaco I met them. It's a big club." 

Then Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp also addressed the situation a summer later in 2023. 

“I can say that I think he's (Mbappe) a really good player, but the financial conditions don't suit us at all. I wouldn’t like to ruin the story now, but as far as I know, there's nothing to it. 

"It's possible that someone else from the club is preparing something and wants to surprise me, but that hasn’t happened in the eight years that I've been here. That would be the first time." 

If Liverpool had won the Champions League in 2021/2022 then the outcome could have been different. The Reds could have had the pull and finances to bring in Mbappe, but instead they lost to Madrid who eventually won the race for the World Cup winner after years of speculation.