Kylian Mbappe had reportedly snubbed a move to Liverpool last summer after Paris Saint-Germain placed a hefty world-record fee on the 24-year-old.
The Frenchman, who subsequently opted to sign a new contract reportedly worth between £500,000 and £1m per week after talks with the Los Blancos collapsed, was offered the chance to leave the Parc des Princes.
The Athletic reports that the Reds were heavily favored to secure Mbappe’s signature but the player rejected a £352m move to Anfield, after the French club had ruled out selling the forward to a most persistent Real Madrid.
The report also claims that the Spanish club are still keeping up with their pursuit of the France international, despite being a tad miffed by his behavior last summer, and the player is still supposedly keen to seal his dream move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
The reigning Champions League trophy holders were apparently so confident of signing Mbappe that they paid a £34m signing bonus into the player’s bank account, but pressure from high-ranking Qatari officials and French president Emmanuel Macron convinced him to stay in Paris, according to the report.