It remains one of the most tantalising “what ifs” in modern Liverpool history, a sliding doors moment that could have completely rewritten the narrative of European football over the last decade.
Back in the summer of 2017, as the footballing world scrambled to sign an 18-year-old phenom tearing defences apart for Monaco, Liverpool were right in the thick of the race for Kylian Mbappé.
Fenway Sports Group (FSG) pulled out all the stops to bring the French prodigy to Merseyside. They chartered a luxury private jet, invited the youngster and his family on board, and literally flew in circles over France while Jürgen Klopp laid out his vision for the club.
For a brief moment, the stars seemed perfectly aligned. Mbappé’s mother and agent, Fayza Lamari, didn’t just like the pitch; she genuinely fell in love with everything Liverpool stood for. Yet, despite his mum’s earnest pleas and his own deep respect for Klopp, Mbappé ultimately chose his hometown club, Paris Saint-Germain, before eventually making his high-profile switch to Real Madrid.
Reflecting on those secret negotiations, Mbappé recently opened up about how tantalisingly close he came to wearing the famous red shirt in an interview with *The Athletic*and why his mother was so convinced his future belonged on Merseyside.
“Yes, I was close to Liverpool,” Mbappé revealed. “My mum was a big fan of Jürgen Klopp and the favourite destination for my mum was Liverpool. She wanted me to go there.”
Fayza Lamari’s Love Affair with Anfield
That endorsement was far more than a passing thought. Lamari was actively driving the process behind the scenes, eager to see her son step out under the lights on Anfield nights.
“She went there [for] the first step of the negotiations,” Mbappé explained
She went to Anfield and fell in love with it watched a few games alone, to feel the atmosphere, because she wanted to imagine me in this stadium.”
For any young player, a parent’s guidance carries huge weight, especially when that parent also manages your career. As the negotiations progressed, the gentle pressure at home to pick Anfield only grew stronger.
“All the time we were talking. ‘What do you think, mum?’ She’d say, ‘For me, you have to go to Liverpool,’” Mbappé recalled. ‘OK, OK, OK!’ because Jürgen Klopp was an amazing manager. I met him and had a wonderful relationship with him. I had big respect for him. But yes, my mum was always saying ‘Liverpool – you’re going to be there, playing at Anfield, it’s going to be insane for you.’ I was like, ‘OK!’
High-Altitude Pitching with Jürgen Klopp
The charm offensive from Liverpool’s end was as dramatic as it was confidential. Klopp, who later dubbed the saga “the most expensive non-transfer” the club ever attempted, spared no effort. The German boss boarded a private jet in Blackpool and flew to Nice to meet the Mbappé family. Once airborne, safely hidden away from media scrutiny, the Liverpool delegation hosted a lavish meal inside the five-room plane while circling high above the French coastline.
Mbappé vividly remembers that surreal afternoon in the skies, as Klopp worked relentlessly to sell the Liverpool project to a teenager who already had the entire sport at his feet.
“I remember we were on the plane and we were turning around and around in the air while he was explaining his project,” Mbappé said. “I said, ‘You don’t need to convince me. You’re Jürgen Klopp, it’s Liverpool, a great club, so of course if I’m here, I have some interest. But I have other things, other projects, that are also good.’ I said to him, ‘Whatever decision I take is going to be a good decision because we are talking about some of the biggest clubs in the world.’
The Call of Home Over Merseyside
It was a remarkably composed stance for an 18-year-old, reflecting the sharp, calculated confidence that has defined his career ever since. Liverpool had presented a flawless project, offered elite managerial guidance, and completely won over his family. However, the pull of his hometown proved impossible for the Reds to overcome.
“I didn’t listen because I wanted to play in my city, Paris,” Mbappé admitted. “I didn’t want to leave my country before I was someone. It’s a funny story. But in the end I took the decision to go to PSG because for me, born and raised in Paris, there was no better feeling than to show I could be a star in my home town.”
Instead of pitching up in the Premier League, Mbappé completed a mega-money move to PSG, initially on loan before finalizing a £166 million transfer. Liverpool, meanwhile, adjusted their strategy under Klopp and went on to build a relentless side that lifted both the Champions League and the Premier League in the years that followed.
Ultimately, while Kopites will always harbor that slight sense of “what if,” the saga remains a massive badge of honor for Liverpool Football Club. It proves that even when competing against state-backed riches and European giants, the unique soul of Anfield and the magnetic pull of Jürgen Klopp could turn the head of the world’s best player and completely capture the heart of his family.
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