The 18-year-old attracted the best teams in Europe before his big-money move to Paris Saint-Germain, but he could have ended up in Germany
RB Leipzig had the chance to sign teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe two years before his big-money move to Paris Saint-Germain, sporting director Ralph Rangnick claims.
The 18-year-old striker attracted interest from Europe’s top teams after excelling for Monaco last season, scoring 26 goals in 44 matches in all competitions for a side that won Ligue 1 and reached the Champions League semi-finals.
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Real Madrid had been tracking the France international and were said to be leading the chase to sign him, but it was PSG who snapped him up by taking him on loan with an obligation to buy for reported €180 million at the end of the season.
However, Mbappe could have been playing in the Bundesliga by now had Rangnick made a promise to the player’s father two years ago, while Leipzig were still in the 2. Bundesliga.
“We almost signed Mbappe,” he told Bild. “The problem was back then we just separated from our coach Alexander Zorniger. It was shortly after the winter break 2015, so at that moment we didn’t know who our next manager would be and how everything would continue.
“Kylian’s father said to me that if I could say for sure that I would become the new manager, he would entrust his son to me immediately.
“But in February [2015] I could not give him that promise yet.”
Rangnick eventually did become the RB Leipzig boss in May 2015, helping them secure promotion to the top flight before making way for current boss Ralph Hasenhuttl.