What Happened to £34m Star Jurgen Klopp Failed to Make Final Liverpool Signing

Jürgen Klopp missed out on signing a highly rated player just four days before announcing his Liverpool departure – but what happened to him and where is he now?

January 26, 2024, remains a date etched into the history books of Liverpool Football Club.

After nine successful years as head coach, Klopp announced he’d be leaving the Merseyside club at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Most Liverpool supporters will remember where they were when the news first filtered through before hoping that the side could finish as champions as a send-off for Klopp, with the Reds top of the league at that point – although they went on to finish third behind second-placed Arsenal and eventual champions Manchester City.

There were hardly any signs that Klopp wanted to leave, nor were there leaks about his departure - which is rare in modern football.

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Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool in 2024 (Credit:Getty)

Even just four days earlier, the Reds were linked with the potential signing of then-Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners.

However, a proposed £34 million deal for the Netherlands international never materialised, and he signed for Serie A giants Juventus for £46.11 million in the summer of 2024.

So, did Liverpool miss out on a quality player or avoid a flop?

The 27-year-old’s maiden campaign in Turin did not go as planned.

From a personal perspective, he registered just five goals and three assists in 44 appearances but struggled to show the best of himself while Juve finished fourth in the Italian top-flight.

Fans and pundits argued that the player was not utilised properly under previous coaches Thiago Motta and Igor Tudor, with the Dutchman playing in several roles - including as a number ten, inverted winger, and box-to-box midfielder - but he has since been employed in a more defensive-minded role under Luciano Spalletti, who became Juve head coach in October.

And by the player’s own admission, he now feels “so much better” in his new favoured position as a left centre-back in a back five that steps into midfield when required.

Teun Koopmeiners in action for Juventus (Credit:Getty)

“The coach said I can play in this role, but also push up as an extra midfielder, as it makes this much more difficult for them. I feel comfortable in this role and feel that I can help the team,” Koopmeiners told DAZN in November.

“I feel comfortable in this position. I think that I can help the team in this role. I am a player who likes to be on the ball a lot, get lots of touches, provide passes, and also push forward, which I can do here.”

Whether he would’ve been a success at Liverpool in the Premier League is purely guesswork, but the emergence of Ryan Gravenberch as the Reds’ starting number six under Arne Slot during the title-winning 2024/25 campaign may have been hampered had Koopmeiners also been at the club.

Although it is possible that the player would’ve thrived initially under Klopp, then under Slot, but given the proposed £34 million fee, it’s unlikely those at Anfield hold regret in relation to the failed pursuit of Koopmeiners based on his performances for Juve.

Of course, now that he’s enjoying his football again, Koopmeiners could still cause the Premier League side to regret missing out on his services two years ago.