Klopp Reveals Liverpool’s Lavish Bid To Sign Mbappe Before PSG Move

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that the club failed to sign Kylian Mbappe despite arranging a private jet and luxury hospitality in a desperate bid to convince the France captain to move to Anfield in 2017.

Klopp described the unsuccessful chase as the “most expensive non-transfer” Liverpool had ever made as they tried to land the teenage Monaco sensation before he chose Paris Saint-Germain.

Speaking while working as a pundit for Magenta TV ahead of France’s World Cup quarter-final win over Morocco, Klopp recalled how Liverpool spared no expense in their attempt to secure the striker’s signature.

The German explained that a flight was arranged from Blackpool to Nice, where Mbappe and his family joined the aircraft for private talks.

“We really went all out. Then we flew around in a circle, talked with the family, ate good food,” Klopp said.

Liverpool hoped to keep the meeting away from public attention, but their efforts failed to change the player’s mind.

Mbappe eventually joined PSG on an initial loan deal that included an option to make the transfer permanent for €180 million. The move launched a glittering seven-year spell in Paris, where he became the club’s all-time leading scorer before joining Real Madrid in 2024.

Reflecting on the missed opportunity, Klopp added: “We flew in a circle. It was fantastic. And then he went to Paris.”

Klopp left Liverpool in 2024 after a trophy-laden nine-year reign that brought both the Premier League and Champions League titles. The 59-year-old is now widely expected to become the next head coach of the German national team.