Man United Were Warned About Mbappe in 2015, And Still Said No
Ryan Giggs revealed that Manchester United were alerted to Kylian Mbappe’s talent in 2015 while he was coaching under Louis van Gaal. Giggs and Albert Stuivenberg watched the Monaco youngster and were impressed, but the club’s scouting team remained unconvinced after watching him against PSG.
Mbappe later won Ligue 1, joined PSG, lifted the World Cup with France, and moved to Real Madrid in 2024. As the story of Kylian Mbappe’s rise continues to surprise football fans, Ryan Giggs has revealed that Manchester United once had the chance to seriously consider signing him in 2015. Giggs was part of Louis van Gaal’s coaching staff at the time when a French supporter named Lionel approached him and recommended the young Monaco forward.
A few weeks later, Lionel emailed Giggs with more details about Mbappe. Giggs then spoke to fellow coach Albert Stuivenberg, and they watched several Monaco youth games together. Both were impressed by the teenager and felt he had something special. United’s scouting team was subsequently asked to assess him, but after watching Mbappe during Monaco’s game against PSG, the scouts were reportedly not convinced and decided against pursuing the player.
Mbappe soon broke into Monaco’s senior team and played a key role in their 2017 Ligue 1 title win. He later joined PSG for the second-highest transfer fee in football history and helped France win the 2018 World Cup. After leaving PSG, he moved to Real Madrid in 2024. The missed opportunity remains one of United’s biggest transfer regrets.