Whether opposition supporters like it or not, Liverpool have been very good at identifying targets in years gone by. The work of the likes of Michael Edwards and Ian Graham became instrumental in helping the Reds look at the underlying numbers of players in order to bring them in before they went interstellar.
Mo Salah would be a really good example of this, with few teams willing to take a risk on a player who had not impressed at Chelsea, only for him to become one of the club’s all-time top-scorers. It doesn’t always work out, of course, as demonstrated by the fact that Kylian Mbappé didn’t sign for the Reds, but why not?
An Early Interest
When Kylian Mbappé was first breaking through at Monaco, Liverpool began monitoring his performances. It was clear that the Reds were keen on signing the French forward, with rumours emerging that members of the club’s hierarchy had a meeting with him and his representatives on a private plan to discuss plans.
That was back in 2017, with Mbappé reportedly turning down Monaco’s offer of a 900% pay rise that would have taken his wagers from £16,000 a week to £140,000 a week as he wanted to move elsewhere. He had become France’s second-youngest player after making his debut aged 18 years, three months and five days.
18 years & 2 months – Kylian Mbappé is the 2nd youngest French player to score in the CL after Benzema (17 years & 11 months). Monumental. pic.twitter.com/tfuFiaT6AV
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) February 21, 2017
The Reds are well-known for never really taking anyone off their list, so if they’ve shown an interest in signing a player than there’s a very good chance that they will keep them in their thoughts until such a move is no longer viable. It is therefore not all that surprising that Liverpool had meetings with Mbappé after he had left Monaco to join Paris Saint-Germain but before he had signed his contract extension with the Parisian side.
That was in 2022, with many believing that he was going to join Real Madrid prior to his decision to extend his contract with PSG. Liverpool, though, were keen to at least try to bring him to Anfield.
His decision to have meetings with Liverpool wasn’t just because he had been on the club’s radar. Instead, there was something of a family connection, with Mbappé saying in 2022, “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. Of course, it was between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in the end”.
He later denied that his decision to extent his contract wasn’t about money and extended power at the club.
The Lure of Real Madrid was Too Strong
In the end, Mbappé made the decision to run his contract down with Paris Saint-Germain in order to join Real Madrid, ostensibly as a free transfer. With the Spanish club having long been keen on bringing him in and the French forward essentially being destined to end up there, it shouldn’t be a surprise that it was the Bernabeu that he opted for instead of Anfield.
Even so, the Reds kept their interest in the speed-merchant, with Jürgen Klopp having to field questions about his possible arrival during the 2023-2024 season when it became clear that he would not be signing another new contract with PSG and would leave the club that summer.
@tntsports KYLIAN MBAPPÉ IS OFF THE MARK FOR REAL MADRID! He tucks away a clinical finish on his debut ⚪️👏
The German manager, who left Liverpool himself in the summer of 2024, had already seen the club’s long-term interest in Jude Bellingham end in heart-break when the midfielder decided to join Real Madrid instead of the Reds. Whilst that was not financially-based, there is little doubt that the Spanish giants have the ability to out-spend pretty much anyone.
PSG reportedly turned down an offer of £188 million from Real Madrid in 2021, then accepted a £256 million offer from Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal in the summer of 2023. Although Mbappé would likely have accepted the move to Real, he turned down the Saudi Arabian move.
The Finances Made it Impossible for Liverpool
Having been earning as much as £180 million-a-year at PSG, Mbappé was unlikely to take a massive pay cut to join Liverpool, which he would’ve needed to do in order to end up playing at Anfield. When he signed for Real Madrid, he did so after receiving a signing-on fee believed to be worth in the region of £85 million, as well as weekly wages in the region of £650,000.
At Liverpool, the highest paid player is Mo Salah, who is reported to be paid £350,000 per week. It isn’t just that the Reds would’ve had to break the bank in order to eve get the French forward on board, but also renegotiate many wagers and pay dearly for the pleasure.
Liverpool would have been such a perfect club for mbappe but the city itself and our budget doesn’t attract that type of players 🤷🏾♂️
— AK (@akthawicked) August 25, 2024
There will always be some supporters that blame Fenway Sports Group for a perceived lack of ambition, but only particularly swivel-eyed fans will think that the American hedge fund owners should’ve smashed the wage structure to sign Mbappé. It was summed up by Jürgen Klopp himself, who said,
“We have owners who feel responsible for the club. Are they the best in the world? I don’t know the others, I cannot say that. But they work really hard as well so that we were successful. I felt supported. If other people say ‘if he could have got supported more, he could have won more’. I would have no clue. We did it as good as we could, and I’m fine with it.”
