**Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that he tried to sign Bayern Munich and Austria midfielder Konrad Laimer during his time in charge.**
Klopp appears to be having a great time as a pundit at the 2026 World Cup, starring on German television alongside Bayern legend Thomas Muller.
The 59-year-old appears to be fit and happy after a gruelling spell at Liverpool from 2015 to 2024, and he has lost none of the charisma that makes him such a special character.
Klopp was renowned for getting the most out of his players at Anfield, turning very good players into world-class ones, and he has now said on [Magenta TV coverage](https://www.caughtoffside.com/2026/06/23/jurgen-klopp-wanted-konrad-laimer-liverpool/) that Laimer was a target of his before he joined Bayern from RB Salzburg instead:
_“As for Laimer, I can say this: I would play him as a defensive midfielder. I wanted to bring him to Liverpool to play in that 6 role. But then he went to Bayern.”_
**Would Konrad Laimer have shone in a Liverpool shirt?**
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Laimer is exactly the kind of player who could have excelled under Klopp at Liverpool, possessing endless running that would have suited his high-octane style of play so well.
It is easy to envisage him sitting in front of the defence and providing cover in the way Fabinho did, and Austria legend [David Alaba](https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/outstanding-bayern-munich-star-showing-world-class-real-madrid-defender-david-alaba-praise/blt754dee777bb81055) has recently lauded him, saying:
_“What Konny is doing is outstanding. It’s no secret to us what kind of player he is and what a world-class player he has developed into. He shows his performance week after week and game after game.”_
While not necessarily an elite technical player, Laimer’s brilliance comes in his work ethic and tactical intelligence, and he could have been another Jordan Henderson or James Milner figure for Liverpool.
In the end, though, the lure of Bayern proved to be too much for the 29-year-old, and he is unlikely to regret that decision, winning two Bundesliga titles with the German giants and being named Austria’s Footballer of the Year in 2025.
Still, Liverpool didn’t exactly do too badly without him with Klopp at the helm, with the midfield a vital part of their success for many years.