​Kylian Mbappé’s move from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 was the culmination of seven years of anticipation and calculation. The French star had long been associated with the Bernabéu, dating back to 2017 when his name was persistently linked to Real Madrid before he swapped AS Monaco for the French giants. Although he turned down a potential switch in 2022, the lure of Real Madrid ultimately proved irresistible, and he joined Los Blancos two years later.
Yet there was a real possibility that Mbappé might never have become a Real Madrid player, despite the club’s clear pursuit of him and the dream status the Spanish outfit held in his eyes. Before committing to PSG, Mbappé explored other avenues, holding talks with Premier League giants Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp confirmed as much, via Diario AS, revealing that the negotiations involved the France international and his entourage and that Klopp himself was a participant in those discussions. “It was the most expensive non-signing I have ever made in my life. We flew in circles and ate deliciously. We couldn’t let the media see us. It was great, but he ended up going to Paris.”
Mbappé’s career narrative, particularly regarding the Champions League, has long been a talking point. He still seeks the UCL title that has eluded him, a prize PSG won after his departure to Real Madrid, in two successive seasons. Reflecting on alternative paths, he might already have a Champions League triumph under his belt had his path diverged in 2017, should he have chosen Liverpool over PSG. At that time, Liverpool made aggressive efforts to secure his signature, and destiny briefly pointed in a different direction. In the end, Real Madrid became the club he realigned with, a move that shaped his trajectory and placed him among the world’s most iconic footballing institutions.
The question of “what if” lingers—what if Mbappé had opted for Liverpool seven years ago? Would his career have unfolded differently, and would Real Madrid have remained a distant dream? It’s a hypothetical that invites intrigue, especially given the current movement of players across top European clubs. In a twist of fate, Mbappé’s current teammates and former Ad factor, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konaté, both moved from Anfield to the Bernabéu in recent seasons, suggesting that the cross-continental exchange of players continues to shape the sport’s landscape. If Mbappé’s timeline had altered at that crucial juncture, perhaps the footballing world would have witnessed a very different mosaic of star power at Real Madrid today.
Looking ahead, there is even talk that Mbappé could be joined by Michael Olise in the near future, further intensifying the intrigue around Real Madrid’s forward line and their ongoing quest to assemble a squad capable of conquering Europe once more. The what-if scenarios persist, fueling speculation about how football’s tapestry might have shifted had Mbappé chosen Liverpool in 2017 instead of PSG, and how those choices ripple through the annals of modern football history.