Liverpool made an extraordinary effort to sign Kylian Mbappe in 2017, with former manager Jurgen Klopp revealing the remarkable lengths the club went to in their pursuit of the then-Monaco forward.
Klopp, speaking while working as a pundit for Magenta TV at the World Cup, disclosed that Liverpool arranged a private jet for Mbappe and his family as part of their recruitment push.
The German described the operation as the “most expensive non-transfer” the club had ever invested in, underlining just how seriously Liverpool took the pursuit.
The elaborate meeting began with a flight from Blackpool to Nice in France, where the operation then escalated significantly beyond a standard transfer conversation.
Klopp explained that “the entire Mbappe family boarded a private jet with five rooms or something” as Liverpool attempted to convince the youngster to move to Merseyside.
Mbappe is represented by his mother, who runs a consulting company specifically for professional footballers, making family involvement a central part of any negotiations.
“We really went all out. Then we flew around in a circle, talked with the family, ate good food,” Klopp said at pitchside, painting a vivid picture of the unusual recruitment attempt.
Liverpool were keen to keep the talks discreet and had no desire to be seen conducting transfer discussions, though the carefully arranged meeting ultimately proved fruitless.
Mbappe went on to join PSG on loan in a deal that included an option to make the transfer permanent for 180 million euros, which equated to around £153 million at the time.
He spent seven years in Paris and became the club’s record goalscorer before making his long-anticipated move to Real Madrid in 2024 at the age of 27.
“We flew in a circle. It was fantastic. And then he went to Paris,” Klopp said, summing up the outcome with characteristic self-deprecating humour.
Klopp himself spent nine hugely successful years at Liverpool, leading the club to both a Champions League and a Premier League title during his tenure on Merseyside.
The 59-year-old stepped down from his role at Anfield in 2024 and is now widely expected to be appointed as the next head coach of the German national team.
His Magenta TV punditry role has given him a platform to share behind-the-scenes stories from his time in management, including this fascinating glimpse into how modern transfer courtship can operate at the highest level.
