Klopp makes stunning admission about Mbappe revealing the Frenchman nearly became a Liverpool player

What could have been...

Klopp made the stunning admission as he was covering the France – Morocco World Cup quarter-final for German television station Magenta TV.

Mbappe, who is currently tied with Leo Messi for the lead in the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race with 8 goals, was almost a Liverpool player ten years ago.

Klopp detailed live on air how the 27-year-old could have signed for his former club in 2016, while he was a rising star teenager at the time.

Liverpool had sent a delegation to France to try win over Mbappe, then a Monaco player.

As he was speaking pre-match, Klopp said: “The most expensive non-transfer that we [Liverpool] invested in!”.

The talks happened aboard a private plane as it flew around in a circle

Klopp revealed that Mbappe and his family boarded a private plane and they discussed the potential of him joining the club.

“We flew from Blackpool to Nice. In Nice, the whole Mbappe family got on board a private plane with five rooms or something.”

“We really went big [with the plane]. Then we flew around in a circle, talked to the family, ate good food”, Klopp said.

Liverpool wanted their recruitment mission to be kept quiet and so did not want to risk landing, so made their pitch in the air, as Klopp revealed.

“We weren't allowed to be seen. We flew in a circle. It was fantastic. And then he went to Paris…”

Klopp, 59, who is reportedly close to becoming new Germany manager following the post-World Cup exit of Julian Nagelsmann, does not seem to hold a grudge as he was seen hugging Mbappe and having a few laughs after the game.

Mbappe ended up picking Paris Saint-Germain as his next step after Monaco, initially joining on loan before PSG picked up a tab worth £165million.

Now as a Real Madrid player, he is starring once again for Les Bleus on the biggest stage as they seek a third consecutive World Cup final.

Mbappe scored in the previous two World Cup finals: one against Croatia which his side won 4-2 and a hat-trick in the last final against Argentina, which wasn’t enough as the French came up short on penalties.