Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has opened up about his relationship with teammate Antonio Rüdiger while also revealing how close he came to joining Liverpool and working with Jürgen Klopp during the early stages of his career.
Speaking to BILD, Mbappé described Rüdiger as someone whose personality away from football is completely different from the intense character supporters see during matches.
Mbappé explained that Rüdiger’s aggressive style, tackles and unpredictable behaviour on the pitch can make him appear “crazy”, but insisted that the German defender is a completely different person inside the dressing room. He described Rüdiger as a kind and respectful teammate, highlighting the difference between a player’s competitive personality and his character away from the action.
The conversation also gave Mbappé an opportunity to revisit his failed move to Liverpool. The Frenchman confirmed that Klopp and Liverpool made a serious attempt to sign him when he was still a young Monaco player.
According to Mbappé, discussions even took place during a private-jet trip around Monaco, with the unusual arrangements designed to avoid attracting attention. More importantly, Mbappé admitted that he would have been happy to join Liverpool at the time.
However, the forward ultimately felt he was not ready to leave France. After only one season with Monaco, he wanted to remain close to his family and familiar surroundings in his hometown of Paris, leading him to choose Paris Saint-Germain instead.
Softfootball reports that Mbappé also spoke highly of Klopp, describing him as one of the outstanding coaches of the past two decades. Klopp is now Germany’s head coach after his successful spell at Liverpool.
Mbappé’s comments offer a rare insight into two major relationships in his career: his close bond with Rüdiger at Real Madrid and the Liverpool opportunity that could have changed his career path.
