Should Liverpool attempt to sign Kylian Mbappe?

It may not seem like it will ever end, but the Kylian Mbappe transfer saga could be drawing to a close soon. 

The Frenchman, who is still yet to decide his future, will reportedly make his mind up on his next move in the coming weeks.

According to reports, there are three options - extending his deal with Paris Saint-Germain, signing for Real Madrid or making a shock move to Liverpool.

While many fans dream of Mbappe rocking up at Anfield, the complexities of such a deal still make it unlikely.

However, it seemingly remains a slim, slim possibility.

But should Liverpool be busting a gut to sign the World Cup-winning superstar, especially given the financial burden of such a deal?

Here are the opinions of Anfield Watch's writers on whether Liverpool should sign Kylian Mbappe.

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Sam McGuire: If you look purely at output, a move for Mbappe is a no brainer.

He's a goal machine and he chips in with assists too. For example, during the 2021/22 campaign he finished with 28 Ligue 1 goals and 17 assists.

But, he's playing in the most dominant side in what is a one-team league. Everything is geared towards him bossing it, so the fact he is shouldn't come as a surprise. There are no guarantees he can replicate this output in the Premier League.

Would he get as many opportunities? Would he able given such a free roam to purely impact the final phase? Can the rest of the team accommodate him? If not, how would he adapt? If he's having to adapt, do you want to be paying him ridiculous sums of money?

Squad balance needs to be considered, as does squad harmony. How will the rest of the team react if he comes in on enormous money and does the bare minimum?

The big thing for me would be the baggage. Mbappe and Real Madrid have this twisted relationship. At some point, he's going to end up there. Can you really be arsed with the uncertainty every single summer?

You can't plan long-term if you don't know whether your star player will be around. I'm just not convinced it makes any sense for a club like Liverpool.

Obviously, the younger version of myself would hate me right now for putting on a sensible hat but I just can't picture a world in which it makes sense.

Verdict: NO

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Andy Headspeath: On the one hand, signing perhaps the best footballer of his generation and one of only two men ever to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final seems like a no-brainer, but on the other hand you have... reality.

Cold, hard, boring reality.

The facts of the matter are that Mbappe is just not in Liverpool's price range. Previous reports have claimed that Real Madrid would offer him north of £30m a year (not to mention the bonuses and signing-on fee), while other stories claim his wage demands are even higher.

There's just no way FSG can/would be able to compete with what PSG and Real Madrid can offer financially – and even Mummy Mbappe's supposed love of Liverpool isn't gonna change that.

Even if the club could come up with £650k a week, Mbappe's arrival (and the circus that orbits him) would surely bring disruption to Jurgen Klopp's famously harmonious dressing room, where big egos and divas have generally been notable by their absence.

The man is a phenomenal footballer, no doubt, but Liverpool must continue their MO of developing superstars rather than paying silly money to get already established ones and the baggage that comes with them.

Besides, who needs Mbappe when you've got Mo Salah in this kind of form?

Verdict: NO

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Ewan Ross-Murray: I think the only way Liverpool could possibly even dream of signing Kylian Mbappe is if Mohamed Salah leaves the club in the summer for big money.

However, there are no indications that Salah will leave Liverpool. In fact, there are suggestions that the Egyptian may even pen a new deal with the Reds.

In that instance, there is simply no room for Mbappe, especially given the colossal, gargantuan, stratospheric wages he will demand.

I don't think there is a single footballing reason not to bring Mbappe to Anfield. But Liverpool would have to mortgage their future to acquire the attacker and, despite his unrivalled quality, it simply doesn't make sense to put so many eggs in one basket.

It was the same with Jude Bellingham last summer - it's better to spread that money around the team than invest in one man.

Plus, when you have Klopp at the helm, he can take £40m players and make them £120m players. He has done it repeatedly in the past and it's a much smarter business model than signing Mbappe just for the ego boost.

Verdict: NO