Mbappe was regulalry linked with a move to Liverpool during Klopp's tenure. Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed how the Reds laid on a private jet and food for Kylian Mbappe and his family in an attempt to sign the France striker before he opted to join Paris St-Germain in 2017.

The German said it was the "most expensive non-transfer" the club had invested in, as they courted the then-Monaco forward, now aged 27. Speaking before France beat Morocco to reach the World Cup semi-finals, Klopp - who is working for Magenta TV as a pundit at the tournament - said the Real Madrid man had been wanted by Liverpool.

He went on to explain how a flight was taken from Blackpool to Nice in France, where "the entire Mbappe family boarded a private jet with five rooms or something". Mbappe is represented by his mother, who runs a consulting company for professional footballers.

"We really went all out. Then we flew around in a circle, talked with the family, ate good food," Klopp said at pitchside. He said they had not wanted to be seen having talks - but the meeting proved fruitless.

Mbappe later joined PSG on loan in a deal with an option for the move to become permanent for 180m euros (£153m). He went on to spend seven years in Paris, becoming the club's record goal scorer before leaving for Real Madrid in 2024.

"We flew in a circle. It was fantastic. And then he went to Paris," Klopp said. Klopp, 59, spent nine years on Merseyside, delivering a Champions League and Premier League title before quitting in 2024. He is widely expected to be named as the next head coach of the German national team.

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