Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe could have ended up in Germany with RB Leipzig after they “almost signed” the 18-year-old in 2015, according to sporting director Ralf Rangnick.

Mbappe became one of the hottest properties in football last season, as he helped lead Monaco to the Ligue 1 title and the Champions League semi-finals, playing a starring role on both fronts.

After months of speculation, he eventually ended up staying in Ligue 1 and moved to PSG on a loan deal, which is set to become permanent for €180-million next year.

Things could have been rather different for the talented Frenchman, however, at least according to Rangnick.

“We almost signed Mbappe,” Rangnick told Bild.

“The problem was back then we had just separated from our coach Alexander Zorniger.

“It was shortly after the winter break of 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,” he concluded.

-This story originally appeared on FourFourTwo.co.za