PSG consultant Antero Henrique opened the door for Kylian Mbappe to leave the French capital in the summer transfer window but the Ligue 1 megastar rejected the chance of joining Liverpool
Kylian Mbappe reportedly snubbed a move to join Liverpool after PSG slapped a world-record fee on the head of the French wonderkid.
Despite penning a mind-boggling £1m-a-week contract with the Ligue 1 giants at the end of the 2021/22 season, Mbappe, 24 was offered the chance to leave the Parc Des Princes last summer, perking the interest of Champions League finalists Liverpool and Real Madrid.
The Spanish champions have been long-time admirers of Mbappe, having tabled a record-breaking £171million bid for the World Cup winner back in August 2021. However, The Athletic report that Liverpool were in fact the frontrunners for his signature.
PSG consultant Antero Henrique is credited with opening the door for Mbappe’s departure although chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi was holding out for an eye-watering sum of £352m. In the end, the astronomical figure proved irrelevant as Mbappe rejected the chance to join the Merseysiders.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have continued to communicate with Mbappe’s representatives about the possibility of a switch to the Santiago Bernabeu. The La Liga juggernauts were left frustrated by his antics over penning a new deal in the French capital but are still keen on adding him to their ranks as the world’s most-marketable footballer.
After batting away Madrid’s £171m offer, Mbappe, a boyhood Los Blancos supporter, informed the Spanish giants he intended to run down the remainder of his deal in Paris before heading east as a free agent.
Such was Real Madrid’s confidence in the proposal, they paid out a £34m signing bonus into Mbappe’s bank account, which the Frenchman then had to pay back when he backtracked on his word.
Pressurised by high-ranking Qatari officials and French president Emmanuel Macron, the Ligue 1 star signed a two-year extension at the Parc Des Princes, with the option of a further year that can only be triggered by Mbappe himself.
A deal is not likely to be forthcoming during January or perhaps even the summer but Mbappe has not given up on his dream of playing for Real Madrid. More importantly, Real Madrid have not given up on Mbappe.
SOURCE: dailystar.co.uk
