Jürgen Klopp has disclosed the extent to which Liverpool went to in their pursuit of Kylian Mbappé back in 2017, describing it as the “most expensive non-transfer” the club was involved in.
At just 18 years old, Mbappé was making waves at Monaco, attracting attention from Europe’s elite clubs — and Liverpool, favored by the winger’s mother, was among the contenders.
Speaking before France’s World Cup quarterfinal against Morocco, where Mbappé netted another goal in a victorious match, Klopp shared insights into Liverpool’s ambitious efforts to recruit the forward, who ultimately chose to join Paris Saint-Germain instead.
While serving as a pundit on Magenta TV, Klopp recounted, “It was the most expensive non-transfer that we [Liverpool] ever invested in,” explaining how an entourage traveled from Blackpool to Nice for discussions with Mbappé.
He mentioned that Mbappé’s entire family boarded the “private jet, with five rooms.”
“Liverpool truly went all out,” he added. “We flew in circles, conversed with the family, and enjoyed a delicious meal. We needed to remain out of sight.”
“We flew around in circles — it was fantastic — and then he went to Paris!”
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Mbappé eventually joined PSG on loan, with an option to make the move permanent for 180 million euros (£153 million). He later signed with Real Madrid in 2024.
In 2022, Mbappé recounted his conversations with Liverpool but indicated that his serious consideration was limited to PSG and Real Madrid.
“I spoke with Liverpool because it’s my mum’s favorite club — she loves Liverpool. I have no idea why; you’ll have to ask her,” he said. “It’s a great club, and we met them five years ago when I was at Monaco. They’re a big club, but in the end, it came down to Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.”