Kylian Mbappe was not the only current France player Liverpool attempted to sign while Jurgen Klopp was manager – according to the German himself.
Klopp revealed the details of Liverpool’s efforts to sign a young Mbappe while working as a pundit for MagentaTV at the World Cup.
He described the long private jet ride around the France skies as “the most expensive non-transfer we’ve ever made,” with the teenager choosing Paris Saint-Germain instead.
But Liverpool also failed to land two of Mbappe’s international team-mates, with Klopp saying he tried to sign both Ousmane Dembele and Adrien Rabiot while in charge.
He joked during France’s 2-0 win over Morocco on Thursday: “It’s extremely tough for me right now. I’ve already negotiated with three of their players and never got them.”
How Ousmane Dembele left Jurgen Klopp with a broken phone!
Rennes' Ousmane Dembele dribbles the ball during his French League One soccer match against Guingamp, Sunday, April 17, 2016, in Rennes, western France. (AP Photo/David Vincent)
Rennes' Ousmane Dembele dribbles the ball during his French League One soccer match against Guingamp, Sunday, April 17, 2016, in Rennes, western France. (AP Photo/David Vincent)
Dembele was valued at £28 million while an 18-year-old at Rennes in 2016, and the winger was reported to have spoken with Klopp on the phone at the time.
“I don’t know if he even knew who we were,” Klopp smiled as he recalled those talks with a player who would go on to win the Ballon d’Or.
“Then my phone fell on the floor. The only outcome of that evening was: my phone was broken.”
The forward instead opted to join Klopp’s former club Dortmund, who made a remarkable £135.5 million when they sold him to Barcelona a year later.
DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY - Monday, June 17, 2024: France's Adrien Rabiot during the UEFA Euro 2024 Group D match between Austria and France at the Düsseldorf Arena. France won 1-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY - Monday, June 17, 2024: France's Adrien Rabiot during the UEFA Euro 2024 Group D match between Austria and France at the Düsseldorf Arena. France won 1-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Meanwhile, Rabiot was linked with a move to Anfield on a number of occasions during Klopp’s reign, including in 2018 and 2019 while at PSG.
The midfielder eventually left Paris to join Juventus on a free transfer in 2019, with his mother and agent, Veronique, becoming a controversial figure when it comes to her son’s employment.
Whether that proved a roadblock in Liverpool’s attempts to sign Rabiot are unclear, but like Mbappe and Dembele, he would certainly have been a strong addition.
It is perhaps no surprise that all three were continually tipped to join Klopp’s side, as the 59-year-old is a manager who rarely drops his interest if he deems a player the right fit.
Former Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp hugs France's Kylian Mbappe (10) after France defeated Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Former Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp hugs France's Kylian Mbappe (10) after France defeated Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Liverpool even looked into a deal to bring Mbappe to Merseyside when his contract at PSG expired in 2024, but unsurprisingly that was deemed impossible.
Klopp has spent the past two years out of management but is now set to return to the dugout, with the German FA confirming on Saturday that a deal was in place for him to take over the national team.
There, he will work closely with Liverpool playmaker Florian Wirtz, who is set to be central to any success for club and country in the years to come.
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