Former Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, has revealed how the club made an ambitious attempt to sign Kylian Mbappe before the France forward joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.
Klopp described the pursuit as the “most expensive non-transfer” in Liverpool’s history.
Speaking while working as a pundit for Magenta TV ahead of France’s World Cup quarter-final victory over Morocco, Klopp said Liverpool arranged a private jet and held talks with Mbappe and his family in a bid to convince the then-Monaco star to move to Anfield.
Klopp explained that the club flew from Blackpool to Nice, where Mbappe’s family boarded a private jet for discussions.
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“We really went all out. Then we flew around in a circle, talked with the family, ate good food,” Klopp said.
According to the former Liverpool boss, the club wanted to keep the meeting away from public attention, but despite their efforts, the transfer never materialised.
“The entire Mbappe family boarded a private jet with five rooms or something. We flew in a circle. It was fantastic. And then he went to Paris,” Klopp said.
Mbappe, who is represented by his mother through her consulting company for professional footballers, instead joined Paris Saint-Germain on an initial loan deal in 2017.
The move became permanent for 180 million euros (£153 million).
Mbappe spent seven years at PSG, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer before completing a move to Real Madrid in 2024.
Klopp managed Liverpool for nine years, winning the UEFA Champions League and Premier League before leaving the club in 2024.
The 59-year-old is reportedly expected to become the next head coach of the German national team.
