Fabinho Says He Will Try to Convince Kylian Mbappe to Move to Liverpool
July 20, 2018
Liverpool midfielder Fabinho has joked that he will try to convince Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe to join the club next season.
Fabinho arrived at Anfield this summer as part of the Reds' high-priced recruitment drive, with the likes of Naby Keita, Xherdan Shaqiri and Alisson Becker also moving to Anfield. The Brazilian has spoken of his delight at making the switch from Monaco and has said he will seek to convince his former team-mate to move to Merseyside too.
"[Mbappe] has already said for the next season he will remain at PSG, but I will try slowly to convince him to come to Liverpool," Fabinho jokingly said, per the Daily Telegraph.
While there may not have been much seriousness in Fabinho's quip, there have been concrete links between the Reds and Mbappe previously. It was reported by Chris Bascombe of the Daily Telegraph last summer Liverpool were interested in the Frenchman before his move to PSG.
The Sportsman put into context just how impressive Mbappe has been in the early stages of his playing days:
Fabinho and Mbappe were part of the Monaco team that sprung a surprise Ligue 1 title win in 2016-17, beating PSG to the prize. They also qualified for the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, with the pair excelling in midfield and up top respectively.
Speaking about the success Mbappe has enjoyed recently—he was vital in France winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup—Fabinho was full of praise for what the 19-year-old has already accomplished in his career.
"Kylian sent me a text message congratulating me on going to Liverpool," he said. "I have not had the chance to congratulate him yet on what he did winning the World Cup. What France did was fantastic. What Mbappe did in two years of professional football is amazing. He is a phenomenon and needs to be congratulated. As soon as I have the chance I will."
It's been a remarkable start to Mbappe's football life, with success already secured on both the international and domestic stage. After winning the Silver Ball at the World Cup, as we can see below, his stock couldn't be much higher:
Given Mbappe is the brightest talent to emerge from French football for some time, you sense it would take something extraordinary for him to end up leaving PSG any time soon. Given his age and his talent, he would possibly be at the bottom of PSG's list of players they are willing to sell.
While the Reds have enjoyed a fine summer and are making progress under manager Jurgen Klopp, in the last 12 years they've won one League Cup. And even if this summer splurge can push Liverpool on to silverware next season, landing Mbappe is surely beyond them.