LIVERPOOL 'REACHED AGREEMENT TO SIGN KYLIAN MBAPPÉ' AS PSG SPEAK OUT

Liverpool's interest in Kylian Mbappe was widely known, but it has now emerged that an official agreement had been struck.

Kylian Mbappe playing at Anfield for PSG in the Champions League. (Image: Getty)

Liverpool reportedly reached an agreement to sign Kylian Mbappe before the 2018 World Cup winner made his long-awaited move to Real Madrid.

The La Liga outfit are rumoured to have paid Mbappe a signing bonus of £85million, with the Frenchman having penned an initial five-year contract at the Santiago Bernabeu.

But had things worked out differently for Mbappe, he might’ve been playing in the red and white of Liverpool instead.

That’s because it’s claimed by L’Equipe that Liverpool and Mbappe had reached a shock agreement over the attacker’s transfer two summers ago.

It’s suggested by the French outlet that Mbappe was dissatisfied with the sporting project at Paris Saint-Germain shortly after signing a contract extension in 2022.

Mbappe is believed to have been upset that PSG failed to land either Bernardo Silva or Robert Lewandowski, so much so, that the world-renowned superstar reportedly submitted a transfer request.

Liverpool, on the back of an agonising season that saw them finish second in both the Premier League and Champions League, are said to have emerged as the most likely destination at the time.

The Reds even tried their luck at luring him out of PSG, with a bid reported to be in excess of £160m submitted to the Parisian giants.

Needless to say, their approach was laughed off by PSG, who had just handed Mbappe a monster contract and were instead holding out for upwards of £300m for his signature.

Mbappe addressed these rumours during a 2022 interview with the Telegraph, saying: “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."

Whereas then manager Jurgen Klopp had issued a coy response when quizzed on whether the club held interest in the speed-merchant.

Speaking a summer later in 2023, Klopp commented: “I can say that I think he's [Mbappe] a really good player, but the financial conditions don't suit us at all. I wouldn’t like to ruin the story now, but as far as I know, there's nothing to it.

"It's possible that someone else from the club is preparing something and wants to surprise me, but that hasn’t happened in the eight years that I've been here. That would be the first time."

- AMOS MURPHY