As Liverpool reflect on a quiet transfer window that saw new boss Arne Slot make minimal changes to his new squad, a report in France has revealed just how close the club was to signing Kylian Mbappe in 2022.
The France forward was at the centre of this summer’s most high-profile transfer when he left Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his contract to sign for Real Madrid on a free transfer.
That drew a line on a protracted transfer saga that had rumbled on for several seasons, with the 25-year-old coming close to leaving the French capital two years ago, only to sign a one-year contract extension that would run until 2024.
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Real Madrid were heavily linked with the unsettled Mbappe in 2022, but according to L’Equipe, Liverpool believed they were leading the race to sign the forward. The French outlet reports that talks were held over a move for Mbappe in 2022, which led to the player agreeing to make the move to the Premier League side.
Liverpool were said to be willing to pay £168million (€200million) for Mbappe, but the report claims that a late increase in PSG’s asking price to €400million from director Antero Henrique, plus the player’s wage demands put the deal beyond the Reds’ financial grasp.
Liverpool would then move on to their next target and would bring in striker Darwin Nunez from Benfica in a transfer worth up to £85million. The Uruguayan has netted 33 goals in 98 appearances for the team since his move.
Mbappe, meanwhile, saw out the final two years of his PSG contract and left the Parc des Princes on a free this summer, signing a huge deal with £12.8million a season, along with a £128million signing-on bonus that will be paid over five years.
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