Kylian Mbappe appears poised to make a move to Real Madrid this summer from PSG, despite persistent speculation linking him to Liverpool. The rationale behind the striker’s decision has now come to light.
While Arsenal’s recent interest has emerged, Liverpool has been the sole Premier League side consistently associated with the PSG star. However, it seems that the potential signing has eluded them.
Numerous outlets confirmed Mbappe’s departure from PSG at the end of the season. Although his destination remains unconfirmed, it appears increasingly likely that he will land in Madrid.
Liverpool finds itself in a period of uncertainty following Jürgen Klopp’s decision to depart at the season’s end. French football expert Julien Laurens shed light on another factor that contributed to Liverpool missing out on Mbappe’s signing.
“It’s a good question (Could Mbappe have signed for Liverpool). I think there was probably a chance at some point,” Laurens explained. “But this is nothing against the Premier League’s appeal. Real Madrid was always the club he wanted to play for.”
“When Kylian Mbappe was a kid, he learned Spanish at school, and when you asked him why he would say it was for the day he’d be unveiled at the Bernabeu as a Real Madrid player. The drive and the ambition of the kid were something else,” he revealed.
“However, the fact that Klopp was leaving and announced his departure, while Carlo Ancelotti is staying at Real Madrid – the uncertainty at Liverpool, who is going to be the manager next season, is Mo Salah still going to be there worked against them.”
Despite this setback for Liverpool, Laurens explained that fielding a team with both Salah and Mbappe would have been nearly impossible. “I don’t think they could have signed Mbappe with Salah still in the squad. They don’t have the money,” he added.
“If Mo Salah leaves, then it’s a different story, but then Kylian would not have waited to see if Salah was staying or leaving, so I think the timing was not right.”
“And that’s not to say he might not come to Liverpool one day because it is a club he really likes.”
