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Jurgen Klopp has revealed how Liverpool chartered a private jet and hosted Kylian Mbappe’s family in a lavish bid to sign the French star before he chose PSG in 2017.
Kylian Mbappe with Jurgen Klopp (AP)
Kylian Mbappe is once again lighting up the FIFA World Cup, but things could have looked very different had Jurgen Klopp managed to pull off one of Liverpool’s most ambitious transfer moves.
The former Liverpool manager has revealed that the Reds went to extraordinary lengths to convince the then-18-year-old Monaco sensation to move to Anfield in 2017, describing the pursuit as the club’s “most expensive non-transfer.”
Speaking while working as a pundit for Magenta TV during the World Cup, Klopp lifted the lid on Liverpool’s elaborate attempt to win over Mbappe and his family before the French forward ultimately chose Paris Saint-Germain.
“We really went all out,” Klopp said.
The German explained that Liverpool secretly arranged a private jet from Blackpool to Nice to avoid attracting attention during negotiations.
“We took a flight from Blackpool to Nice, where the entire Mbappe family boarded a private jet with five rooms or something,” Klopp recalled.
“We flew around in a circle, talked with the family, ate good food.”
The club’s efforts, however, failed to sway the highly sought-after teenager.
“We flew in a circle. It was fantastic. And then he went to Paris,” Klopp added.
Mbappe eventually joined PSG on an initial loan deal that became a permanent €180 million (£153 million) transfer, spending seven seasons in the French capital before completing his long-awaited move to Real Madrid in 2024.
Since arriving in Spain, however, silverware has proved elusive. Despite his individual brilliance, Mbappe is yet to win either La Liga or the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid, while his former club PSG have gone on to lift back-to-back European titles.
Liverpool continued to be linked with Mbappe during his final years in Paris as speculation over his future intensified, but a move to Merseyside never materialised.
Instead, the France captain is now starring once again on the biggest stage. Mbappe heads into the World Cup semi-finals as the tournament’s joint-leading scorer with eight goals, level with Lionel Messi after inspiring France’s 2-0 quarter-final victory over Morocco.
Klopp, meanwhile, stepped down as Liverpool manager in 2024 after a trophy-laden nine-year spell that delivered both the Premier League and Champions League titles.
The 59-year-old is widely expected to become Germany’s next national team coach.
About the Author
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His…Read More
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