Ethan Mbappe, the younger brother of Kylian Mbappe, is beginning to carve his own path in professional football. While his brother is among the world’s best forwards, Ethan, a technical left-footed midfielder, is working to make a name for himself at just 18 years old.
After progressing through PSG’s academy and making five senior appearances for the club, Ethan made a free transfer to Lille in the summer of 2024 in the hopes of more regular playing time.
He’s made 5 appearances this season, showing early promise before a quadriceps injury kept him sidelined for months. The youngster was on the bench for Lille’s clash against Liverpool a month ago and made his Champions League debut a week later against Feyenoord.
In a video that surfaced online only recently, Ethan was spotted playing NBA on a gaming console while wearing a full player-version of Liverpool’s 24/25 home kit with what looks to be Diogo Jota’s name on the back.
While it’d be easy to assume this is a jersey swap, Diogo Jota was not part of Liverpool’s squad that faced Lille in the Champions League, which means there is chance the youngster went out of his way to acquire the jersey, either by himself or by asking Jota’s Liverpool’s teammates.
Though the name isn’t fully visible in the clip, the letter “D” and what appears to be an “I” and half of the letter “O” can just about be seen, suggesting it belongs to Jota and not the other potential candidate Diaz, whose name begins with a “DI” as well.
Ethan taking Jota’s jersey might just be a sign of admiration from the youngster for 28-year-old Jota, as they both have similar playstyles. While both Jota and Mbappe are primarily wingers, Mbappe could benefit from developing the ability to play in multiple midfield and attacking roles like Jota does.
Jota’s versatility allows him to make runs out wide and through the middle, and the timing often blindsiding defenses, something Mbappe could pick up on as he grows.
This sighting has sparked speculation among fans. Some believe it could hint at Ethan having a soft spot for Liverpool like his mother did, while others dream of him one day making his way to Anfield.
“Imagine we signed Ethan Mbappe and Jobe Bellingham…be some multiverse shit right there,” said one user, potentially predicting the future with these transfer shouts.
“Jota got it after the game,” said another user bringing up the possibility of Ethan taking it from the Portuguese after the game in the tunnel.
“He looks very good in Liverpool shirt I wish he come to Liverpool in the summer,” said another fan.
At 18, Ethan Mbappé still has a long way to go and big shoes to fill. His immediate focus will be on getting consistent game time at Lille and continuing his development. It’s unlikely that he makes a move out of Lille at least for 2 more years, as his contract has him tied to the French club until June 2027.
If the Frenchman can find his feet with Lille, there is a high chance clubs as prolific as Liverpool come into the picture earlier than 2027, and maybe then the younger Mbappe sports the jersey of his mother’s favourite club.
