Kylian Mbappe is set to dominate the transfer agenda this summer with an exit from Paris Saint-Germain seemingly imminent.
The superstar has hinted he could leave the Parisians should he decide against extending his current contract and as things currently stand he will become a free agent at the end of the season. Real Madrid are considered frontrunners for the 2018 World Cup winner but huge wage demands may pose an issue.
Liverpool have always remained in the realms of possible destinations, especially after hailing Jurgen Klopp’s side in 2020. And, as it happens, the club had spoken to Mbappe about a summer transfer before.
Just over 12 months before he guided France to World Cup glory, the player was assessing his options ahead of an exit from Monaco. Liverpool had been tracking the striker and made an approach.
L’Equipe (via The Mirror) says Mbappe held a two-hour conversation with FSG chief John W Henry in the summer of 2017. According to the report, the American owner actually flew out his private jet to Monaco to try and woo the player and his family, inviting them on board.
Ultimately, the forward instead agreed to join PSG on an initial loan that had an obligation-to-buy clause. The whole transfer, completed in 2018, ended up costing more than £160m.
That same summer, Liverpool pivoted to splash an initial £36.5m on Mohamed Salah, and the rest is history. The Egyptian has made three Champions League finals since then, lifting the trophy in 2019. Conversely, Mbappe made the 2020 final but is yet to clasp hands on ‘big ears’.
Three-and-a-half years later, it looks as though the 25-year-old will leave the Parc des Princes without winning Europe’s biggest prize. That said, PSG chief Nasser Al Khelaifi is still hopeful of keeping Mbappe.
Speaking to the Rothen s’enflamme RMC podcast, he said: “Look, I am not trying to hide anything. I want Kylian Mbappe to stay at PSG. He’s the best player in the world and the best club for him is PSG.
“He is central to our project. We have done a lot of things, some have worked more than others. We have made mistakes and this is normal. Now we have a young team, with French players, and we are not in a hurry, this is for the long term.
“We have put together a team that is solid on a technical level and our system of play has been changed and it is a pleasure to watch this team. We play as a team, we defend as a team, it is magnificent.”
Reports suggest that Mbappe will make huge salary demands that could stretch up to £1.24m-a-week which, for comparison, would be nearly three times Salah’s reported package.
