Jurgen Klopp has revealed the extraordinary lengths Liverpool went to in their attempt to sign Kylian Mbappe in 2017, describing the elaborate operation as “the most expensive non-transfer we ever made” after reuniting with the France captain at the World Cup quarter-final in Foxborough.
Speaking to German broadcaster Magenta TV, where he has been working as a pundit throughout the tournament, Klopp laid bare the details of a covert pursuit that involved chartering a private jet from Blackpool to Nice to keep the meeting hidden from the media, before flying the entire Mbappe family in circles above the French coastline to avoid detection.
“We flew from Blackpool to Nice. In Nice, the whole Mbappe family boarded a private jet with five cabins. Then we flew around in circles and had a delicious meal. We weren’t allowed to be seen. It was great, and then he went to Paris,” Klopp said.
The meeting took place as Mbappe was preparing to leave Monaco following a stunning breakthrough season in which he registered 28 goals and 14 assists in 46 appearances to help the club win their first Ligue 1 title in 17 years. Liverpool, then entering Klopp’s second full season at Anfield, pursued the teenager aggressively but ultimately lost out to Paris Saint-Germain, who signed him in August 2017 initially on loan before making the deal permanent for a fee of 180 million euros, the second most expensive transfer in history at the time after Neymar’s 222 million euro move from Barcelona to PSG earlier that summer.
The reunion in Foxborough carried an emotional undercurrent for Klopp, who watched Mbappe warm up before France’s 2-0 quarter-final win over Morocco and subsequently waved to the player’s mother in the stands, a moment that reopened memories of that failed pursuit nine years earlier. Klopp admitted his frustration at having negotiated with three members of the current France squad, Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Adrien Rabiot, without ever landing any of them at Anfield. “It’s extremely tough for me right now. I’ve already negotiated with three of their players and never got them,” he said.
Mbappe himself confirmed in 2022 that he had spoken to Liverpool before the PSG move, revealing that his mother’s affection for the club had played a role in the discussions. “I talked to Liverpool because it’s the favourite club of my mum. My mum loves Liverpool. When I was in Monaco I met them. It’s a big club,” he told The Telegraph.
Instead of Mbappe, Liverpool signed Mohamed Salah from Roma that summer, alongside Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal and Andy Robertson from Hull City. Mbappe went on to make 308 appearances for PSG, scoring 256 goals and providing 110 assists across seven seasons, before joining Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2024. PSG have since won the Champions League twice following his departure, while Mbappe himself is still chasing the trophy at the Bernabeu.
Klopp, 59, is now preparing to return to management after his media role at the World Cup concludes, with the former Liverpool boss widely understood to be on the verge of replacing Julian Nagelsmann as Germany national team coach once the tournament in the United States ends. Mbappe, meanwhile, remains entirely focused on leading France to a third consecutive World Cup final appearance, his goal against Morocco in the quarter-final taking his tournament tally to eight, level with Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot standings.
