​Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has disclosed how the Reds pulled out all the stops in a bid to recruit Kylian Mbappe, arranging a private jet and meals for the France forward and his family in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to lure him away from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. The German manager described the episode as the club’s most expensive non-transfer investment, a bold bid to sign the Monaco forward, who is now 27.
Speaking ahead of France’s World Cup semi-final clash with Morocco, Klopp—who is serving as a pundit for Magenta TV during the tournament—confirmed that Liverpool had long coveted Mbappe, then turning heads in Ligue 1. He recounted the trip from Blackpool to Nice, where “the entire Mbappe family boarded a private jet with five rooms or something.” Mbappe is represented by his mother, who runs a management and consulting business for professional footballers.
“We really went all out. Then we flew around in a circle, talked with the family, ate good food,” Klopp explained on the touchline. He stressed that Liverpool wanted to avoid public sight of their discussions with Mbappe’s camp, but the talks did not yield the desired outcome.
Mbappe ultimately joined PSG on loan in a deal with an option to make the transfer permanent for €180 million (£153 million). He would go on to spend seven years in Paris, becoming the club’s all-time top scorer before leaving for Real Madrid in 2024.
“We flew in a circle. It was fantastic. And then he went to Paris,” Klopp said. The 59-year-old former Liverpool manager spent nine seasons on Merseyside, delivering a Champions League trophy and a Premier League title before stepping away in 2024. He is widely anticipated to be named the next head coach of the German national team.
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