Kylian Mbappé has revealed that he came close to joining Liverpool before signing for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. At the time, several leading European clubs were competing for the young French forward, who was preparing to leave Monaco.

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp was particularly interested in Mbappé and arranged a meeting with his mother. She visited the city, attended matches at Anfield, and became deeply impressed by the club’s atmosphere and traditions. She admired Liverpool’s family-like culture and believed it would be an ideal destination for her son.

Mbappé, however, chose a different path. Although he respected Klopp and valued their relationship, he did not want to leave France at such an early stage of his career. He preferred to remain in Paris, his home city, and subsequently joined Paris Saint-Germain on loan before completing a permanent transfer the following year.

The revelation highlights how close Liverpool came to signing one of the world’s most celebrated footballers. It also reflects the significant influence of personal priorities and family opinions in major career decisions.

Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim has endorsed teammate Lamine Yamal as the player most deserving of this year’s Ballon d’Or.

Yamal is among the 30 nominees for the prestigious award, with the winner set to be announced in October. Speaking about the shortlist, Abdelkarim acknowledged that several Barcelona players were worthy candidates but singled out Yamal for special praise.

“There are many players in the team who could win it. They would deserve it,” Abdelkarim said, as quoted by Barca Universal. “But I think we can all agree that in Lamine’s case, it would be very deserved. I’m very happy to play alongside him every day.”

Yamal’s case is strengthened by his achievements with both club and country. He helped Spain win the World Cup during the summer and played a key role in Barcelona’s LaLiga triumph last season.

Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has stated that no player in his squad enjoys untouchable status following the club’s dramatic victory over Elche on Tuesday night.

Madrid secured all three points through a late goal from Carlos Espi after Arda Güler had opened the scoring with an impressive free-kick. However, Güler was substituted in the 68th minute, prompting questions from reporters after the match.

Mourinho explained that the midfielder was beginning to lose intensity while playing in the number-ten role.

“He is not untouchable. In fact, no one has such status,” Mourinho said. “When I make changes, it is usually because the team is losing control of the game.”

The manager added that Güler’s position required him to cover significant areas of the pitch, which contributed to his declining energy levels as the match progressed.