KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Mbappe to Liverpool not just a pipedream?

So a lot of the rags are reporting how John W Henry took Mbappe and his Family on his private jet back in 2017 for a 2 hour meeting whilst he was still at Monaco. He eventually signed on for PSG because they were willing to pay 138million for his services along with a lucrative contract. Mbappe and his Family were reportedly impressed with Henry's vision for LFC at the time. At that time, Liverpool where a work in progress under Klopp who was having to make do with the moneyball approach to transfers, it was also at a time when Nike where playing with the idea of approaching us to become our next big kit sponsor, which wouldn't come into to effect until the 2020 season. Mbappe has been the Football poster boy for Nike since 2017 and have since extended his contract with them.

Reports coming out of France is that Mbappe wants a fresh challenge when his contract expires in June 2022 and that there are only 2 possible clubs who Mbappe would like to play for - Real Madrid or Liverpool. Real Madrid well because it's Real Madrid and their history but from a financial standpoint + Media / PR and sponsor this does not make sense because Nike have "NO" involvement in Real Madrid - Adidas sponsor them at least for the next 8 or 9 years because they signed a lucrative 10 year contract with them in 2018.

The other obvious club is PSG and Mbappe extending his contract, however French Football was served a severe blow because of the financial crisis due to the Mediapro Tv deal. The Mediapro deal, signed back in 2018, was expected to give Ligue 1 the financial boost it needed to finally compete with the Premier League, the Bundesliga and La Liga. A multi-year £3bn contract was signed that would end up stinging French clubs after the coronavirus pandemic caused Mediapro to miss two payments and end up having their deal terminated.

Ligue 1 clubs are now facing the prospect of losing their star players for less than their market value in a bid to generate cash in the short term. What that means is a reduction in quality of the league and creates questions for the likes of Mbappe as to whether his career is best suited to be playing for a big club in an ailing league.
Money shouldn't be an issue for PSG however the other clubs in Ligue 1 it is and thus the overall quality of the League is almost guaranteed to dip and not become a destination for any top player worth their salt if they want success.

Nike have been busy behind the scenes with pairing other top athletes they sponsor and have Been pushing a partnership with LFC minority share holder Lebron James and Mbappe. There was lots of excitement this month when Mbappe and James swapped their Instagram profile pictures with each other. A fairly innocent and throwaway thing you may feel, but when the two are closely aligned with one brand then you can rest assured it wasn't without having a desired effect.

Mbappe and James are Nike's 'Chosen 2'. A combined following of 122m on Instagram a marketeers dream. They are both pushing new shoe lines in their respective fields for Nike, both with the 'Chosen 2' moniker attached.

Mbappe may need to move in order to realise his potential and get his hands on the biggest trophy available on the continent, and having a close relationship with James and seeing the moves he has made suggests a switch away from Paris may be necessary for his own growth.

Then there is the small fact that James is a Reds fan and minority shareholder, Liverpool were the Champions League winners in 2019, the Premier League winners in 2020 and have one of the most revered managers in the game.

The door does seem more open for Liverpool than it has in the past for making a move for the very best in Europe given the more austere approach Real Madrid and Barcelona will have to adopt in the face of huge debt. Both clubs have traditionally been the end destination for players who have outgrown their own market.

Could this be the albeit late "Marquee" signing from Nike for LFC? It is rather strange that considering Nike is the Top sports brand they have not given LFC the fanfare this relationship should have got at the start. However with COVID and the Football landscape having changed so much so quickly the possibility is no longer just a wild pipedream.

I think folks are missing the point here, I highly doubt any club would stump up 200m for a player with a year left to run on his contract. Likely Mbappe will look to run down his contract unless PSG budge on price and even with the rich Arabs as owners, they'd want something back and would let him go either in the summer or next January for a reduced price.

Nike would probably burden a lot of the cost for Mbappe to Liverpool because it would be in their best interests to have him at a club they are heavily invested in. They also sponsor Lebron James and the potential for PR to have Mbappe & Lebron with the Liverpool connection will only be a plus for them selling more of their product.

Real Madrid have no affiliation to Nike and are suffering financially. Nike the brand wants to be seen as winners in whomever they sponsor, as much as I detest them they are the brand leader in sports the world over.

I do feel Liverpol have a better chance at landing Mbappe in the current climate, than any other club.

If it is a Nike push, then he has a better chance of going to Chelsea, so, definitely a pipe dream for me