Jurgen Klopp drops bombshell over how close Liverpool were to signing Kylian Mbappe

Jurgen Klopp has opened up about the time he tried to sign Kylian Mbappe for Liverpool as they 'flew around on a private jet' with his family.

Liverpool's interest in Mbappe goes back to the summer of 2017, when they registered their interest in the player after he recorded 26 goals and eight assists as Monaco were crowned Ligue 1 champions.

At the time, Mbappe was being tracked by a host of European clubs, including Real Madrid and Arsenal, but Paris Saint-Germain eventually won the race to sign him in a deal worth a reported £166 million.

What a lot of people don't know is that Liverpool went all out to sign the forward in the weeks prior to joining PSG.

Speaking to MagentaTV on Thursday ahead of France's quarter-final clash against Morocco, former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp spoke about the time he joined Mbappe on a private plane with his family.

"It was the most expensive non-transfer that we [Liverpool] invested in," said Klopp, as per Jan Aage Fjørtoft. "We flew from Blackpool to Nice. In Nice, the whole Mbappe family got on board a private plane with five rooms or something.

"We really went big. Then we flew around in a circle, talked to the family, ate good food. We weren't allowed to be seen. We flew in a circle. It was fantastic. And then he went to Paris."

Kylian Mbappe has previously spoken about Liverpool talks

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph in 2022, Mbappe himself confirmed Liverpool's interest and explained what the club means to him and his family.

“We talked a little bit, but not too much. We talked a little bit,” Mbappe told the Daily Telegraph.

"I talked to Liverpool because it’s the favourite club of my mum, my mum loves Liverpool. I don’t know why, you will have to ask her. It’s a good club and we met them five years ago. When I was in Monaco I met them. It’s a big club.”

Journalist Melissa Reddy gave a further insight into the situation after Klopp made the comments.

"In February 2016, when Kylian Mbappe hadn’t yet signed professional terms with Monaco, I broke Liverpool’s interest in him. At that point, they had 16 months of recon on the forward.

"Even then, I was told it would be 'practically impossible' to pull off because 'he will become the best player in the world.' PSG and Real Madrid were offering financial terms that just couldn’t be matched. Liverpool wanted to at least try.

"This meeting that Klopp speaks about was in 2017 and it was Mbappe’s mum that was so keen for it to happen."

A report from L'Equipe claimed Mbappe was close to joining Liverpool in 2022, as he debated leaving Paris.

In fact, he is said to have reached a verbal agreement with the Premier League side after they made a €200m (£169 million) bid. Of course, the Frenchman went on to sign for Real Madrid in 2024.