Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has unveiled a little-known story about how the club looked into signing Kylian Mbappe early in his career and the reasons behind their decision to pass on the deal.
The Welshman, who was an assistant to Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford, shared an intriguing tale during a recent episode of Rio Ferdinand Presents.
I was strolling through a village in the south of France, making my way back to the hotel, when I felt someone following me, Giggs recounted.
A chap named Lionel approached me, saying: 'Hi, I'm a devoted fan and your personal admirer. I watch a lot of youth football in France. You’ve got to pay attention to this player. His name is Kylian Mbappe. He’s at Monaco; he’s a future star for Manchester United.'
Weeks later, the same fan sent an email packed with detailed dossiers. Giggs brought in the second assistant coach, Albert Steffenberg, and both travelled to France to catch some of Monaco’s youth matches.
We watched a few of Monaco’s youth games and were just blown away: 'Wow, who is this kid?' Sometimes you see talents, but he looked absolutely exceptional, Giggs added.
The coaching staff passed their insights to the scouting department at Manchester United. Subsequently, a representative from the club attended a match against PSG.
However, the scout's report ultimately dashed any hopes of a transfer. Later, Giggs checked in with the same fan about the outcome:
A few weeks later, I asked Lionel how it all turned out. He said: 'The club wasn’t sure about him, so they just shelved the idea.' And that was that.
Fast forward, and Mbappe has become a global superstar, making his move from Monaco to PSG, and later donning the famous white of Real Madrid.
