Highlights
- Spanish journalist François Gallardo claims Liverpool have contacted Kylian Mbappe's mother and agent, Fayza Lamari, about a 2027 move
- He says Mbappe, 27, has decided to leave Real Madrid next summer, with a fee of €200m to €250m
- The claim rests on one journalist. Real Madrid are reported to have no plans to sell, and one outlet noted that no credible source has backed it up
- In a September interview, Mbappe said his mother wanted him to join Liverpool in 2017, and that he chose Paris Saint-Germain instead
The claim
Gallardo posted what he called a "world exclusive" on X on the morning of October 6, saying Mbappe is angry and disappointed with Real Madrid and has decided to leave in the summer of 2027. He then told Real Madrid-focused outlet Defensa Central that "the player's priority is Liverpool," and that Liverpool have already contacted Lamari, who is both Mbappe's mother and his agent, "in recent weeks."
Gallardo also said Mbappe does not feel loved or supported in the Madrid dressing room, and that the fee would fall between €200m and €250m. His post ended with a challenge: his next destination is in the Premier League, "and if not, prove me wrong." Gallardo is a Spanish journalist with around 49,000 followers on X.
The mother who wanted Anfield
The claim lands in an unusual place, because Mbappe has already spoken about this. In an interview with The Athletic on September 22, he said he came close to joining Liverpool while he was at Monaco. His mother, he explained, was a big admirer of Jürgen Klopp, went to Anfield, fell in love with the stadium and watched games there alone to imagine her son in it.
Mbappe said no. "I didn't listen because I wanted to play in my city, Paris," he said, explaining that he wanted to prove himself as a star in the place he was born and raised. He moved to PSG in 2017, and joined Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2024. If Gallardo is right, the person who pushed for Liverpool then is the person Liverpool have been talking to now.
Real Madrid new signing, Kylian Mbappe poses with his father Wilfried Mbappe and his mother Fayza Lamari is unveiled at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on July 16, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. David Ramos/Getty Images
Why Madrid may not budge
There are plenty of reasons to treat the claim carefully. Mbappe's Real Madrid contract runs until 2029. Defensa Central reported that the club have no intention of letting him go and that any negotiation would need extraordinary figures, and Transfermarkt values him at €200m. FootballTransfers said the speculation had not been backed up by any credible source, with no movement expected until next summer, if at all.
FourFourTwo, which carried the report, also pointed to a squad problem. It noted that Liverpool are already well stocked with left-sided attackers, including Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo, and said the deal could be a non-starter on that basis alone.
Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid looks on during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on September 20, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images
A big year, few trophies
Mbappe's numbers are not the problem. He scored 58 goals for club and country in 2025-26, according to the Ballon d'Or's official website, and finished as top scorer in La Liga and the Champions League. That total includes the 10 goals that won him the Golden Boot at this summer's World Cup. Since joining Madrid he has scored 94 goals in 111 appearances.
The trophies are thinner. Madrid have not won the Champions League since 2024, just before he arrived, and FourFourTwo describes the team as stuck in a tactical rut, with Vinicius Junior diminished and Jude Bellingham pushed deeper since Mbappe's arrival. Mbappe is among the nominees for the Ballon d'Or, which will be awarded at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26, the first time the ceremony has left Paris. He has been open about wanting it. In a September interview with AS, he said his priority was "bringing the Ballon d'Or back to Real Madrid."
What happens next
Nothing is likely to be settled soon. The Ballon d'Or night on October 26 comes first, then a season at the Bernabeu, and Gallardo's own timeline points to next summer. Liverpool, meanwhile, return from the international break against Manchester City.
None of the reports carried a response from Real Madrid, Mbappe or Liverpool.
