​Jurgen Klopp spilled details about secret discussions with the Mbappé family aboard a private jet, a tale that underscored what many consider the costliest failed transfer attempt of his Liverpool tenure. He shared the anecdote last night on the touchline ahead of the quarter-final clash between France and Morocco, speaking to MagentaTV: “It’s really tough for me right now,” the Liverpool manager confessed. “I’ve dealt with three of these players before, but I never managed to sign them.” He was referring specifically to Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Adrien Rabiot.
“The Mbappé episode happened before his move to Paris Saint-Germain. The deal was worth around €500 million—the most expensive failed signing we ever tried to pull off. We flew from Blackpool to Nice. In Nice, the Mbappé family boarded a private jet with five cabins. We then spent time circling the area, sharing meals, trying to remain discreet. It was all fantastic, but in the end he chose PSG,” Klopp explained, reflecting on Liverpool’s near-mistake of bringing the French sensation to Anfield.
As for Dembélé, who was then with Rennes, Klopp admitted he sensed trouble from the start. “I’m not even sure he knew who we were,” he said with a wry smile. “There was a moment when my phone fell to the floor. The only outcome of that evening was that my phone broke.” The private-jet episode with Mbappé and the near-miss with Dembélé illustrate how, in football, a single moment can alter the trajectory of clubs and leagues alike.
Klopp’s reflections invite readers to consider how different the sport’s history might have looked if Liverpool had secured even one of these French superstars, potentially reshaping the club’s fortunes and the broader chessboard of European football. In recounting these moments, Klopp did not merely relive a private negotiation; he offered a candid glimpse into the high-stakes, high-pressure world of elite transfers, where millions and reputations hang in the balance and every flight path could carry the weight of a football era’s possible alternate timelines.
This piece has been translated into English from its original Italian version, with the aim of broadening access to the narrative and enriching SEO reach. You can read the original Italian text here.