Jurgen Klopp has lifted the lid on one of football's most extravagant failed transfers, revealing how Liverpool arranged a private jet — complete with five rooms and a fine dining spread — to woo Kylian Mbappé and his family ahead of the forward's 2017 move to Paris Saint-Germain.

The former Liverpool manager, now working as a pundit for Magenta TV at the World Cup, made the admission pitchside before France's victory over Morocco that sent Les Bleus into the semi-finals.

A flight to nowhere

Klopp described how a private aircraft departed from Blackpool to Nice, where the Mbappé family boarded for what turned into an elaborate in-air courtship. "We really went all out. Then we flew around in a circle, talked with the family, ate good food," the 59-year-old said.

The Germans — keen to avoid any public attention — chose the discreet setting of a luxury jet rather than a traditional meeting venue. Despite the grandeur, the talks led nowhere. "We flew in a circle. It was fantastic. And then he went to Paris," Klopp added.

Klopp later joked it was the "most expensive non-transfer" Liverpool had ever undertaken, a wry acknowledgement of the lengths the club went to in pursuit of the then-Monaco teenager.

Mbappé's path from Monaco to Madrid

Rather than joining Liverpool, Mbappé, now 27, signed for Paris Saint-Germain on an initial loan deal before the move was made permanent for 180 million euros (£153 million). He spent seven years at the club, becoming its record goalscorer, before departing for Real Madrid in 2024.

Mbappé's career has long been guided by his mother, who manages a consulting company representing professional footballers and was among the family members present on that memorable airborne meeting.

Klopp's Liverpool legacy

Klopp himself left Liverpool in 2024 after nine years on Merseyside, during which he delivered a UEFA Champions League title and a Premier League trophy to Anfield. He is now widely tipped to take charge of the German national team as head coach.