Jurgen Klopp has offered a fascinating glimpse into Liverpool’s determined, yet ultimately unsuccessful, pursuit of Kylian Mbappe, revealing the extraordinary lengths the club went to in an attempt to sign the French superstar in 2017. The former Liverpool manager recently described one particular transfer effort as “the most expensive non-transfer” in the club’s history, highlighting a long-standing interest that stretched across several years.

The 2017 private plane pursuit

Speaking to MagentaTV ahead of France’s World Cup quarter-final clash against Morocco, Klopp recounted an elaborate meeting with the Mbappe family. “It was the most expensive non-transfer that we [Liverpool] invested in,” Klopp stated, as reported by 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.”

At the time, Mbappe was one of the most coveted talents in world football, having just led Monaco to the Ligue 1 title with an impressive 26 goals and eight assists in 2017. Real Madrid and Arsenal were also tracking the young forward, but Paris Saint-Germain ultimately secured his signature for a reported £166 million.

Journalist Melissa Reddy, who first broke Liverpool’s interest in Mbappe in February 2016, provided further context. Reddy revealed that Liverpool had 16 months of reconnaissance on Mbappe even before he signed professional terms with Monaco. She noted that financial terms offered by PSG and Real Madrid were simply beyond Liverpool’s reach, making a deal “practically impossible.” The 2017 meeting Klopp described was reportedly facilitated by Mbappe’s mother, who was keen for it to happen, according to Reddy.

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Renewed interest and a €200m bid

Liverpool’s interest didn’t end in 2017. Mbappe himself confirmed the club’s persistent efforts in a 2022 interview with the Daily Telegraph. “I talked to Liverpool because it’s the favourite club of my mum, my mum loves Liverpool,” Mbappe explained. “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.” This aligns with the 2017 meeting Klopp detailed.

Reports from L’Equipe in 2022 suggested Liverpool came even closer to signing Mbappe that year, claiming the forward had reached a verbal agreement with the Merseyside club. The French publication also reported that Liverpool made a substantial €200m (£169 million) bid for Mbappe, though he ultimately remained at PSG before eventually signing for Real Madrid in 2024.

Despite the exhaustive efforts and significant investment in time and resources, Liverpool never managed to secure Mbappe’s services. The detailed account from Klopp underscores the competitive nature of elite football transfers and the financial power required to land a generational talent like Kylian Mbappe.

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