Nocturnal 
Liverpool have reportedly reopened contact with Kylian Mbappe’s camp, with a Spanish journalist claiming the Real Madrid forward’s “priority” destination if he ever leaves the Bernabeu is Anfield.
According to Francois Gallardo, writing for Spanish outlet Defensa Central, “several Premier League teams are interested in Kylian Mbappe, but the player’s priority is Liverpool” and representatives have “already contacted” his mother and agent Fayza Lamari “in recent weeks”. It’s important to stress this is a single-source report from Spanish media, not confirmed by Liverpool, Real Madrid or Mbappe himself.
The timing is notable. Mbappe has been on a packed media run ahead of next week’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in London, and has just given a candid interview to The Athletic in which he confirmed, for the first time in his own words, exactly how close he came to joining Liverpool back in 2017.
What Mbappe actually said
Speaking to The Athletic, Mbappe revealed that his mother was desperate for him to sign for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool while he was still a teenager at Monaco. “Yes, I was close to Liverpool,” he said. “My mum was a big fan of Jurgen Klopp and the favourite destination for my mum was Liverpool. She wanted me to go there.”
He described how his mother visited Anfield alone to “feel the atmosphere” during negotiations, telling him: “It’s a wonderful club, everybody’s so kind, it’s a family club, a big club.” Klopp reportedly flew from Blackpool to Nice on a private jet to meet Mbappe and his mother in person, spending hours in the air making his pitch.
Despite that, Mbappe chose to join hometown club Paris Saint-Germain instead. “I didn’t listen because I wanted to play in my city, Paris,” he explained. “I didn’t want to leave my country before I was someone.” He went on to score 256 goals in 308 appearances for PSG before leaving for Real Madrid in 2024.
Why it matters
Real Madrid last won the Champions League in 2024, and there are suggestions his arrival has unsettled the balance of their front line, with Vinicius Jr reportedly struggling, Jude Bellingham forced into a deeper role, and Rodrygo losing his place. Madrid signed another left-sided forward, Yan Diomande, in the summer, which some see as a sign of wider changes afoot.
Gallardo claims Mbappe “has made the decision to leave the club in the summer of 2027” and that his “next destination is in the Premier League,” with any deal potentially costing between €200-250 million. Transfermarkt currently values the 27-year-old at €200m. None of this has been confirmed by any party involved, and should be treated as speculation at this stage.
There’s also a practical obstacle: Liverpool are already well stocked on the left and up front, with Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo, Victor Munoz and Rio Ngumoha all competing for attacking spots, which could make signing another forward of Mbappe’s profile a tricky fit.
What happens next
For now, Mbappe remains a Real Madrid player with no indication from the club that he’s for sale. Liverpool, managed by Arne Slot, face Manchester City in their next fixture as they continue an unbeaten start to the season under seven games played. Any genuine transfer movement, if it happens at all, isn’t expected before the 2027 window Gallardo referenced, so this remains firmly in rumour territory for now.
