Kylian Mbappé has admitted he turned down proposals from Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig during the early stages of his career.
Mbappé’s name was on everybody’s lips when he made his breakthrough at Monaco, with the teenage forward quickly billed as a near-certain star of the future—a reputation he has had no problems managing.
The next step in his career took Mbappé to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017, joining on an initial loan before a permanent switch worth €180 million ($210.9 million), but the 26-year-old has now revealed he had the chance to take his talents to Germany instead.
“Many clubs approached me,” Mbappé, now of Real Madrid, told BILD. “Bayern approached me when I was a bit younger and able to leave Monaco.
“Dortmund also enquired. And RB Leipzig. And those are just the three clubs I remember. Maybe there were others, but I don’t remember. Everyone’s asking now, but it’s a bit too late!”
While the details of Bayern’s contact with Mbappé are not known, there will undoubtedly be a lingering sense of frustration after missing out on perhaps the greatest player of his generation.
The 2017 summer transfer window saw Bayern bolster out wide with the signings of Kingsley Coman from Juventus and Serge Gnabry from Werder Bremen. The latter remains part of the furniture in Munich, while Coman only departed for Saudi Arabia this summer.
Dortmund, for their part, took the plunge with a deal for Jadon Sancho from Manchester City, hoping that the then 17-year-old would follow a similar career trajectory to Mbappé. Early signs suggested that may be the case and a £73 million switch to Manchester United only added to that belief, but things have not gone to plan for the 25-year-old, who is know looking to reignite his career on loan with Aston Villa.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Too Late’—Kylian Mbappe Admits Rejecting Transfers to Three European Giants.