Why does Kylian Mbappé’s mother want to see him play for Liverpool?
Fayza Lamari’s wishes nearly came true in 2017, when the Reds, led by Jürgen Klopp, came close to signing the young Kylian Mbappé. Here are all the details.
Long before becoming one of the biggest stars in world soccer, Kylian Mbappé came close to joining Liverpool. In 2017, when he was just 18 years old and making a name for himself at AS Monaco, the English club tried to convince him to move to Anfield. And there was one person who was particularly excited about the possibility: his mother, Fayza Lamari.
FAYZA LAMARI WAS A LIVERPOOL FAN
The explanation from Mbappé himself is as simple as it is intriguing. In 2022, the forward revealed that he had spoken with Liverpool years earlier, largely because his mother had a special affection for the club.
“It’s my mother’s favorite club,” Mbappé explained at the time. He even admitted that he did not know exactly why Fayza Lamari liked the Reds so much. He also recalled that his family had been in contact with the English club during his time at Monaco.
But the connection went beyond the club's colors. Lamari was also a big admirer of Jürgen Klopp, who was managing Liverpool at the time.
KLOPP DID EVERYTHING HE COULD TO CONVINCE HIM
Liverpool’s interest in the young Mbappé was serious. In 2017, Jürgen Klopp and members of the club sought to meet with the player and his family to present their sporting project.
Years later, the German manager revealed that the Reds even used a private jet to travel from Blackpool to Nice, where they met with the Mbappé family. The goal was to keep the talks discreet while trying to convince the young forward to make the move to the Premier League.
Klopp later explained that the operation represented a significant effort from the club, although Liverpool ultimately failed to complete the signing.
“YOU’RE GOING TO PLAY AT ANFIELD”
Fayza Lamari’s excitement reportedly went as far as imagining her son wearing the Liverpool shirt and playing in front of the passionate crowd at Anfield.
Mbappé recalled that his mother wanted him to accept Liverpool’s proposal and often talked about how special it would be to see him play at one of the most iconic stadiums in English soccer.
However, the young forward had a different priority. Although Liverpool was an option his family viewed favorably, Mbappé wanted to stay in France and continue his career in his home country.
PARIS CHANGED THE STORY
The final decision was Paris Saint-Germain. Mbappé left Monaco in 2017 on loan with an option to buy, which was later made permanent in a deal worth US$200 million.
He spent seven seasons in Paris, became PSG’s all-time leading scorer and won six Ligue 1 titles before leaving the club as a free agent to join Real Madrid in 2024.
Ultimately, Liverpool’s pursuit became one of the fascinating “what if” stories of Kylian Mbappé’s career. While the French star chose to remain in France, his mother, Fayza Lamari, was particularly enthusiastic about the possibility of seeing her son play at Anfield under Jürgen Klopp.
