Kylian Mbappé has explained for the first time why he chose Paris Saint-Germain over Liverpool in 2017, despite strong encouragement from his mother and co-representative, Fayza Lamari.

At the time, Liverpool had made a serious push for the forward, with Jürgen Klopp winning over Lamari during the pursuit. She visited the city, the stadium and met the people, and came away convinced the club was special. Mbappé recalled how firmly she backed the move, saying: “My mom was a big fan of Jürgen Klopp and the favourite destination for my mom was Liverpool . She wanted me to go there,” Mbappé told The Athletic . “I didn’t listen because I wanted to play in my city, Paris. I didn’t want to leave my country before I was someone. But yes, my mom was always saying ‘Liverpool—you’re going to be there, playing at Anfield, it’s going to be insane for you.’ I was like, ‘O.K.!’

“She went there [for] the first step of the negotiations. She went to the city, she went to the stadium, she met the people. She was like, ‘It’s a wonderful club, everybody’s so kind, it’s a family club, a big club.’

“She went to Anfield and fell in love with it. She watched a few games alone, to feel the atmosphere, because she wanted to imagine me in this stadium.

“All the time we were talking. ‘What do you think, Mom?’ She’d say, ‘For me, you have to go to Liverpool. I said, ‘O.K., O.K., O.K.!’ because Jürgen Klopp was an amazing manager. I met him and had a wonderful relationship with him. I had big respect for him.”

Klopp later described the attempt as “the most expensive non-transfer we [Liverpool] invested in,” and recalled the unusual private-jet meetings that took place during the chase. But Mbappé made clear that his mind was elsewhere. “I said to him, ‘Whatever decision I take is going to be a good decision because we are talking about some of the biggest clubs in the world.’

“It’s a funny story. But in the end I took the decision to go to PSG because for me, born and raised in Paris, there was no better feeling than to show I could be a star in my home town.”

His mother had one final reaction after the PSG move. “You’re a genius at football, Kylian,” Mbappé’s mother told him in the summer of 2017 when he moved to PSG. “Aren’t you going to be bored in Ligue 1?”

Manchester United’s summer business focused squarely on correcting the balance of the squad, with four first-team arrivals added after a year spent rebuilding the attack. The club also brought in veteran goalkeeper Karl Darlow on a free, taking total spending to $207.2 million (£155 million) across those three transfers.

The major priority was central midfield. That area had been left exposed last season, with Casemiro departing when his contract expired and Manuel Ugarte sidelined by a long-term injury. As a result, Michael Carrick now has four senior players for the two midfield roles, while Tyler Fletcher offers an academy option and Bruno Fernandes could also move deeper from No. 10.

United’s summer intake was not limited to the senior group. Tynan Thompson, Cristian Orozco and Kit Margetson were added for the U-21s, and the club hopes at least one of them can eventually push into the first team. Thompson appears the likeliest to do so this season. His move from Tottenham Hotspur has been compared with Ayden Heaven’s switch to Old Trafford from Arsenal in January 2025. Thompson also received ‘List A’ status for the Champions League league phase, which leaves the door open, although none of the three youngsters has yet been named in a senior matchday squad.

At this early stage, Carlos Baleba sits bottom of the ranking only because he has not yet played. The Cameroon international was recovering from an ankle injury when the $93.6 million (£70 million) deal was agreed, having missed Brighton’s entire preseason. His first weeks as a Manchester United player have been spent continuing that recovery. He was on the bench for the first time in the 1–1 draw with Fulham before the international break, and a debut is expected when the Premier League returns in October. United lack a defensive midfielder of his type, so he could rise quickly once he features.

Darlow has had the most limited role of all. The 35-year-old was brought in as experienced cover after Altay Bayındır moved on, with Senne Lammens established as the starting goalkeeper. So far, Darlow’s only appearance came in the Carabao Cup against Brighton, and further opportunities look unlikely unless Lammens is injured.

The international break is usually a chance for players to step away from club football. For Alejandro Garnacho, that luxury does not really exist.

There was a time when the winger looked destined for much bigger things. Signed by Manchester United as a highly rated teenager, he made his senior debut at 17 in April 2022 and had already become one of the side’s most effective players by the 2023-24 season. That campaign ended with him finishing sixth in the Kopa Trophy voting, a sign that his rise had gathered real momentum.

What followed was far less predictable.

In December 2024, Garnacho and Marcus Rashford were omitted from a matchday squad for the derby against Manchester City after manager Ruben Amorim said he was unhappy with their training performances. Garnacho returned quickly and was praised for the way he responded, while Rashford never played under Amorim again. But his situation soon worsened as he found it difficult to fit into Amorim’s winger-less system.

The relationship reached its breaking point after the 2025 Europa League final, when Garnacho questioned why he had not started. Amorim then told him to find a new club, and Chelsea moved in. They had considered a January 2025 approach before paying $54 million (£40 million) six months later.

However, the move did not develop as hoped. Chelsea’s recruitment team drove the deal and Enzo Maresca had not spoken with Garnacho before his arrival, which went some way to explaining his limited starts. He was not criticised for attitude or work rate, but his end product was modest, with eight goals in all competitions and only one in the Premier League.

Chelsea then accepted that offers could be entertained after one season, leading Garnacho to Aston Villa on loan with an obligation to buy under certain conditions. Even there, the search for rhythm has stalled. Unai Emery has given him just 31 minutes this season, with his latest appearance coming on Sept. 5. He was an unused substitute against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup and remained on the bench for the win over Tottenham Hotspur.

“Work, work, train, work,” Emery said, while also noting that other players are “giving us things I want.” For Garnacho, the message is clear.