Jurgen Klopp Flew Kylian Mbappe on a Private Jet for a Meal. He Still Chose PSG.

Jurgen Klopp just confirmed what Liverpool fans have suspected for years. The Reds really did go all out to sign Kylian Mbappe when he was still a teenager. And by all out, we mean a private jet with five cabins and a fancy meal served mid-flight.

Klopp told Magenta TV that Liverpool flew from Blackpool to Nice to pick up Mbappe and his entire family. Then they took off again and just flew around in circles. The whole point was to keep things quiet. No one was supposed to see them together. Klopp said they really went big on the recruiting pitch. It sounded like a great time. Good food. Good vibes. And then Mbappe went to Paris anyway.

The Non-Transfer That Still Stings

Klopp called it the most expensive non-transfer Liverpool ever made. He is not wrong. Mbappe was 17 at the time and already looked like a generational talent. Liverpool wanted him bad. But PSG had money and the allure of playing in Paris. Mbappe joined on loan initially, then signed permanently for about $190 million a year later.

Liverpool pivoted hard. They signed Mohamed Salah for around $46 million that same summer instead. That worked out okay. Salah has scored 257 goals in 442 games for the club. Mbappe scored 256 for PSG in seven years. Two all-time greats on different paths.

Mbappe Keeps Rolling at the World Cup

Mbappe is 27 now and playing for Real Madrid. He is absolutely torching the World Cup this summer. Eight goals in six games so far. Tied with Lionel Messi for the tournament lead. Erling Haaland has seven. Mbappe also sits second on the all-time World Cup scoring list with 20 goals, one behind Messi.

France just beat Morocco to reach the semifinals. Mbappe scored again. The guy is impossible to stop.

Klopp’s Next Move

Klopp is not at Liverpool anymore. He stepped away from club management and is now in line to take over the German national team. Julian Nagelsmann resigned after Germany lost to Paraguay in the round of 32. The timing lines up. German soccer is in a weird spot and Klopp might be exactly what they need.

So yeah. Liverpool almost had Mbappe. They ended up with Salah instead. Hard to call that a loss. But you still have to wonder what could have been.