According to a new report, Liverpool attempted to sign Kylian Mbappe in 2022 with a bid worth around £170 million.
The France international was reportedly open to joining Anfield under Jurgen Klopp, but the deal ultimately fell through.
Following a successful 2021-22 season – where Liverpool won both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, reached the Champions League final, and finished as Premier League runners-up with 92 points – the club entered the 2022 summer transfer window from a position of strength.
Klopp had recently signed a long-term contract extension in April, and Mbappe, a long-standing transfer target, was identified for what could have been a record-breaking move.
The proposed deal would have easily surpassed the club’s previous record fee of £75 million for Virgil van Dijk in January 2018.
However, despite Liverpool’s ambitions, the financial requirements to secure a player of Mbappe’s calibre were always seen as a major obstacle.
A new report from L’Equipe now suggests that Liverpool had, in fact, reached an agreement with the forward and had put forward a proposal to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) that was being considered alongside a rival bid from Real Madrid.
At the time, Mbappe was expected to join Madrid, having left AS Monaco on a free transfer earlier that year.
The report claims that Liverpool submitted a €200 million (£168 million) offer to PSG, but their hopes were dashed when then-PSG sporting director Antero Henrique demanded they double the fee.
Despite Liverpool reportedly agreeing to personal terms with Mbappe, the financial complexity of the deal, along with repeated denials from Klopp regarding such links, ensured that the blockbuster transfer never materialized.
The L’Equipe report sheds light on just how close the Reds came to securing the world-class forward, marking one of the most sensational transfer sagas in recent memory.
“In 2022, shortly after extending his contract with PSG, the striker of les Bleus (Mbappe) reportedly asked to leave because of the direction of the project and responded favourably to an offer from the English club (Liverpool),” L’Equipe claims.
“A few months after extending his contract with Paris-Saint-Germain, in May 2022, Kylian Mbappe could have left the club.
“At least this is what several sources close to the case assure to explain that PSG was aware of the Frenchman’s desire two years before the end of his contract.
“Shortly after signing his new contract (two years + an additional option to be activated by both parties), the striker felt ‘betrayed’ by the Parisian project, especially its start of the transfer window, with what he considered to be unfulfilled promises (the arrivals of Bernardo Silva and Robert Lewandowski were expected).”
Get French Football News has reported that sources at PSG have dismissed claims linking Kylian Mbappe with a move to Liverpool, stating, “Liverpool could not have the funds to sign Mbappe.”
Back in May 2022, while discussing the club’s interest in the French star, Jurgen Klopp acknowledged Liverpool’s admiration for the jet-heeled forward but admitted that the financial realities made such a deal nearly impossible to finalize.
Klopp said: “Will we be involved in [Mbappe negotiations]?
“No. So, about Kylian Mbappe…of course we are interested in Kylian Mbappe, we are not blind!
“Actually, I have nothing to say about [reported contact] but between Kylian and Liverpool, it’s all set, it’s all fine.
“We of course like him and if you don’t like him, you have to question yourself.
“But we are not, we cannot be part of these battles.
“There must be other clubs involved and that is fine. He is a great player.”
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