The Clandestine Flight
Speaking on German station Magenta TV after covering Kylian Mbappé's France side in their World Cup quarter-final win over Morocco, former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp lifted the lid on the extraordinary lengths the club went to in 2017. The target: a teenage sensation from AS Monaco.
"It's extremely tough for me right now; I've already negotiated with three of their players and never got them," Klopp said, referencing Mbappé, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and possibly Manu Koné.
Klopp, who described the failed pursuit as "the most expensive non-transfer we've ever made", gave a vivid account of the private jet trip designed to convince the forward and his family. The entire operation was shrouded in secrecy.
Dinner at 30,000 Feet: The Meeting That Almost Was
Klopp, alongside Liverpool's top brass, flew from Blackpool to Nice to meet the Mbappé family. The striker's mother, Fayza Lamari, a known Liverpool supporter, was a key figure in the discussions.
"In Nice, the whole Mbappé family boarded a private jet with five cabins. Then we flew around in circles and had a delicious meal. We weren't allowed to be seen. It was great – and then he went to Paris."
Despite the opulent setting and Klopp's personal charm, the allure of Paris Saint-Germain proved too strong. Mbappé initially joined PSG on loan in August 2017 before the move was made permanent for €180 million the following year.
A Transfer That Shaped European Football
The failed pursuit of Mbappé has become a sliding-doors moment for Liverpool. While the Reds went on to win the Premier League and Champions League under Klopp without the Frenchman, Mbappé's arrival at PSG transformed the Parisian club into a perennial European force. His eventual move to Real Madrid in 2024 only added to his legend.
Key Takeaways
- Klopp's personal touch: The manager flew with the Mbappé family on a clandestine private jet to sell the Liverpool project.
- Secrecy was paramount: The flight circled Nice to avoid detection, highlighting the covert nature of top-tier transfer talks.
- PSG won the race: Mbappé chose Paris over Liverpool, with the Reds unable to match the French club's financial and sporting project at the time.
- €500 million 'non-transfer': Klopp estimated the total package would have been around half a billion euros, making it their costliest missed deal.
- Mother's allegiance wasn't enough: Fayza Lamari's Liverpool fandom couldn't sway her son's decision.
Quick Facts
Player: Kylian Mbappé
Clubs Involved: Monaco, Liverpool, PSG
Eventual Fee to PSG: €180 million
Liverpool's Estimated Package: ~€500 million
Klopp's Comment: "The most expensive non-transfer we've ever made."
Source: The Guardian