Overview
- Jürgen Klopp said Thursday that Liverpool chartered a private jet from Blackpool to Nice, hosted Kylian Mbappé and his family aboard a five‑room aircraft and ‘flew in circles’ to keep the meeting secret.
- Klopp called the effort Liverpool’s “most expensive non‑transfer,” saying the club wined and dined the family but Mbappé signed for Paris Saint‑Germain in 2017 instead.
- The revelation came while Klopp was working as a MagentaTV pundit at the 2026 World Cup and was prompted by his on‑pitch reunion with Mbappé after France’s quarter‑final win.
- Reports and past comments cited by multiple outlets say Liverpool lacked the financial package PSG offered, underscoring how money, not persuasion, decided the move.
- The episode has renewed discussion about elite transfer practices and club financing, with commentators using it to examine covert recruitment and evolving funding models in football.