French professional footballer Kylian Mbappe recently turned down an offer to join Spanish giants Real Madrid, choosing to remain with Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain instead. The 23-year-old’s decision came despite Madrid’s incessant pursuit and coming close to signing the prolific scorer as a free agent after his deal with PSG ended. 

However, now with Mbappe’s latest decision to remain, PSG is likely to see some changes including sporting director Leonardo leaving the club, with former Lille and Monaco executive Luis Campos likely to be selected as the replacement. Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s future and that of Mbappe’s teammates are also in doubt. 

Also Read | Manchester United look at major squad shake-up after disappointing season

The Spanish football league also plans on pursuing legal action against PSG over the deal, saying in a statement, “LaLiga will file a complaint against PSG before UEFA, the French administrative and fiscal authorities and European Union authorities to continue to defend the economic ecosystem of European football and its sustainability”. 

With Mbappe’s transfer saga having driven shockwaves through the football world, the French forward has now opened up about the time when he considered Liverpool as a potential home. 

Speaking to The Telegraph, he said “It was not just Real Madrid and PSG – I was in talks to join Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool”. 

Also Read | Heung-min Son scripts PL history, becomes 1st Asian to win Golden Boot

Mbappe explained why he’d met with the Premier League side, saying “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!”, and added, “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”. 

Mbappe ultimately ended up joining PSG from Monaco in 2017. At that time, he was paid a record fee for a teenager – €180 million. The French wunderkind also scored 168 goals during his five years at the club, making him the second-highest scorer after Edinson Cavani. 

He grabbed the limelight at PSG too, winning the Ligue 1 four times and was voted France’s player of the season thrice. All throughout, Mbappe was coveted by Madrid, whom the player supported as a boy and was about to join in 2017. 

Also Read | Liverpool has more ‘desire’ to beat Madrid, after losing PL title to City

In 2021, Madrid saw numerous offers to Mbappe being rejected, but during the current season, they remained hopeful understanding that the French player had given his word that he’d join Los Blancos. 

Mbappe’s PSG remain champions of the French league but have crashed out of the Champions League, while Real Madrid is the Spanish champions who’ve secured their spot in the CL final in Paris, against Liverpool, who lost the PL title to Manchester City in a nailbiting end to the current season.