Jurgen Klopp has been speaking while working as a pundit at the World Cup, revealing the name of one player now at Bayern Munich who was previously considered by Liverpool
17:18, 23 Jun 2026
Jurgen Klopp working as a pundit for Magenta TV during the World Cup
Jurgen Klopp working as a pundit for Magenta TV during the World Cup(Image: Maja Hitij - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Liverpool legend Jurgen Klopp has revealed that he wanted to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Konrad Laimer during his Anfield tenure.
RB Leipzig did not want to sell the player at the time, though, and he ended up staying in the Bundesliga, signing for Bayern a year later as a free agent. Liverpool instead signed Arthur Melo on an emergency loan deal and then sold Fabinho and Jordan Henderson the following summer when interim sporting director Jorg Schmadtke oversaw a midfield overhaul.
At Bayern Munich, Laimer has primarily been used as a full-back. He has been a useful utility player and now 29, is playing for Austria at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
"What I can say about Konrad Laimer is that, in my team, he would play as a number six," Klopp said on Magenta TV before Austria lost 2-0 to a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina.
"I wanted to bring him to Liverpool to play that role. But then he went to Bayern."
At the moment, Liverpool is trying to sign another player from RB Leipzig: Yan Diomande. He too is starring at the World Cup at the moment, representing the Ivory Coast.
Klopp and Lionel Messi shake hands after the World Cup game between Argentina and Austria in Dallas
Klopp and Lionel Messi shake hands after the World Cup game between Argentina and Austria in Dallas(Image: Maja Hitij - FIFA via Getty Images)
Liverpool has already expressed a willingness to pay around €100 million ($115 million/£85 million) for the 19-year-old. However, it is not thought that such a sum will be enough.
Leipzig would like to keep Diomande for another year. In an ideal world, it would tie him down to a contract extension, though that would include a release clause.
This week, the former Germany international Steffen Freund has suggested Diomande's career might be best served by sticking in the Bundesliga for another 12 months too.
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"Physically, he should be able to manage it," Freund said. "But take Florian Wirtz as an example: he's joined the reigning champion and was expected to win the title straight away. The pressure on him is immense.
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"In the Premier League, he's up against better full-backs than in the Bundesliga. It's a different kettle of fish – it's a real battle there."
Liverpool.com says: Laimer is a solid professional who does the boring stuff well for Bayern Munich. The Reds could definitely do with a few more of those.
As for Diomande, he is ready for the step up. He has proved that on the biggest stage at the World Cup and it is starting to feel like the right time for him to move on at club level as well.