Klopp reveals Liverpool's long-held pursuit of a 2026 World Cup star, going all out but the player chose another team.
On 10 July 2026 GMT+7, Jürgen Klopp, former Liverpool manager, disclosed behind-the-scenes details of how the Premier League club once chased Kylian Mbappé, a world-class striker currently shining at the 2026 World Cup with France, sharing the top scorer spot with Argentina's superstar Lionel Messi with eight goals.
Klopp shared this story while serving as an analyst for Magenta TV during the 2026 World Cup quarterfinal match where France defeated Morocco 2-0, with Mbappé scoring one of the goals.
The future German national team coach said Liverpool arranged a private jet and gourmet meals to welcome Mbappé and his family for negotiations to sign him before he decided to join Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.
Jürgen Klopp stated this was "the club's most expensive investment that did not result in a transfer," at a time when Mbappé was a rising star at Monaco.
The former Liverpool manager revealed that a flight was arranged from Blackpool to Nice, France, where the Mbappé family boarded a private jet with five bedrooms. Mbappé’s mother managed his interests and ran a consultancy firm for professional footballers.
Klopp said, "We really gave it our all. We circled in the sky, talked with the family, and enjoyed exquisite meals together. Wewanted to avoid anyone seeing the negotiations, but ultimately, that meeting did not succeed."
Later, Mbappé moved to PSG on a loan deal with a €180 million (£153 million) purchase option. He spent seven years at Paris, becoming the club's all-time top scorer before transferring to Real Madrid in 2024.
"We circled in the sky, it was amazing, and then he went to Paris," Klopp concluded.
