Mbappe talks Mourinho, Ronaldo, Ballon d’Or, World Cup dream, failed Liverpool move

Mbappe talks Mourinho, Ronaldo, Ballon d’Or, World Cup dream, failed Liverpool move Kylian Mbappe’s career could have taken a very different path. Before becoming Real Madrid’s leading forward and one of the most recognisable players in world football, Mbappe came remarkably close to joining Liverpool.  His latest interview with The Athletic has offered a detailed look at the decision that kept him in France, the influence of Cristiano Ronaldo, his extraordinary World Cup record and his ambitions with Real Madrid. Mbappe was still playing for Monaco when Liverpool emerged as a serious option.  His mother was particularly keen on a move to Anfield, but the teenager ultimately chose a different route because of one overriding priority: remaining in Paris. Mbappe chose Paris over Liverpool despite Klopp talks The Liverpool interest went much further than a routine transfer approach. Mbappe’s mother travelled to England, visited the stadium and met people at the club before the family continued discussions over a potential move. Looking back at the decision that could have taken him to the Premier League, Mbappe said, “It was while I was playing in Monaco.  “I had to make a decision. And yes, I was close to Liverpool. My mum was a big fan of Jurgen Klopp and the favourite destination for my mum was Liverpool. She wanted me to go there. “I didn’t listen because I wanted to play in my city, Paris. I didn’t want to leave my country before I was someone. But yes, my mum was always saying, ‘Liverpool — you’re going to be there, playing at Anfield, it’s going to be insane for you.’ I was like, ‘OK!’ “She went there for the first step of the negotiations. She went to the city, the stadium, she met the people. She was like, ‘It’s a wonderful club, everybody’s so kind, it’s a family club, a big club.’ Mbappe could have joined Liverpool early in his career. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) “All the time we were talking. ‘What do you think, Mum?’ She’d say, ‘For me, you have to go to Liverpool.  “I said, ‘OK, OK, OK!’ because Jurgen Klopp was an amazing manager. I met him and had a wonderful relationship with him. I had great respect for him.” The most unusual part of the negotiations came when Klopp and Mbappe met on a private jet.  The plane picked the young Frenchman up in Nice before remaining in the air while the Liverpool manager explained his plans for the player. Recalling that meeting, Mbappe said: “I remember we were on the plane and we were turning around and around in the air while he was explaining his project.  “I said, ‘You don’t need to convince me. You’re Jurgen Klopp, it’s Liverpool, a great club, so of course if I’m here, I have some interest.  “But I have other things, other projects, that are also good.’ I said to him, ‘Whatever decision I take is going to be a good decision because we are talking about some of the biggest clubs in the world.’ “It’s a funny story (more circular motions). But in the end, I decided to go to PSG because for me, born and raised in Paris, there was no better feeling than to show I could be a star in my home town.” Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Mbappe before Madrid move That decision eventually led Mbappe to Paris Saint-Germain, where he developed into one of the world’s leading forwards before finally joining Real Madrid. His childhood ambitions, however, were shaped by another superstar. Mbappe grew up admiring Cristiano Ronaldo, with photographs of the Portuguese covering his bedroom and the Manchester United version of Ronaldo making the biggest impression on him. Asked whether he had a favourite Premier League team as a youngster, Mbappe made clear that his interest was centred on one player: “Cristiano, when he was at Manchester United.” His relationship with Ronaldo has since changed dramatically. The player who was once his idol is now someone Mbappe considers a friend. Mbappe has a great relationship with Ronaldo. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) “Cristiano Ronaldo used to be my idol ; now he is my friend. “I love to spend time with him; he gives me advice, he supports me and knows I will always support him.” Mbappe has subsequently built a legacy of his own, particularly with France. He has scored 22 goals in 22 World Cup games and became the first teenager since Pele to score in a World Cup final when France lifted the trophy in 2018. For Mbappe, the World Cup remains the ultimate achievement, even as his individual records continue to grow. “There is no bigger achievement than the World Cup. “I always wanted to break records and (make sure) that people remembered my name. But I have to be honest, I didn’t expect to be the top scorer of all time at the World Cup, at 27.” The 27-year-old is also France’s all-time leading scorer, with 66 goals from 106 appearances. That has naturally raised the question of whether he can reach 100 international goals, a mark that once seemed unrealistic even for him. Mbappe pointed to Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the reason his own ambitions have changed, saying, “The problem I have is there are two guys (Ronaldo for Portugal, and Messi with Argentina) who have shown it is possible.  “If you’d asked me before, I would have told you ‘no’. But now, they have shown the way. So why not?” Mbappe wants Ballon d’Or, but Mourinho has bigger priorities The numbers at club level have also strengthened Mbappe’s case for individual recognition.  Mbappe is in contention to win the Ballon d’Or. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) He scored 42 goals in 44 games for Real Madrid last season, putting him into the Ballon d’Or conversation and earning praise from figures including his new manager, Jose Mourinho. Mbappe insists winning the award is not an obsession, but he has no intention of pretending that it does not matter to him. “I have no shame (in saying that). I’m not scared to say what I think, even if sometimes people can say, ‘What is this guy saying?’ It’s not a shame to be honest. I have never said, ‘I’m going to win it’.  “But I think I had a good year. Many people have said I had a good year and connected me with the trophy. So let’s see what can happen.” The bigger challenge at Real Madrid, though, is that the club has gone two years without a major trophy and Mbappe knows expectations are already high around Mourinho’s new project. He describes the squad as hungry and eager to challenge for every available title, while his first impression of Mourinho has been overwhelmingly positive. “Way before he arrived here, I was really curious about him because he’s been one of the main characters in world football in the last 20 to 25 years.  “When a guy like this arrives at your club, you can’t wait to see from close up what greatness means. I think you (being from England) have good memories of him making history there.  “And, for us, it’s such a privilege to have him back,” he noted.