Klopp says ‘we can attract world’s best’

Manager admits Mbappe is too expensive to sign ‘There are good reasons players want to join us’

Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool have restored their status as one of the world’s most attractive football clubs, but has conceded that audacious hopes of joining the pursuit of Paris St-germain superstar Kylian Mbappe are likely to be scuppered by the monumental cost.

Real Madrid are openly courting Mbappe ahead of next season, yet reports in Spain suggest there is concern at the Bernabeu the French striker has ambitions to move to the Premier League – where he particularly admires Klopp and his team.

Liverpool tried to sign Mbappe when he joined PSG from Monaco in 2018, having been with them on loan for a season, and held encouraging talks with him before being outbid by the French champions.

Such is Liverpool’s progress under Klopp, they consider players of the calibre of Mbappe and Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho to be among the few who can elevate the quality of the squad.

This interest is balanced by realism, with Klopp suggesting yesterday that the financial demands of such a deal – which may involve having to pay a world-record transfer fee – have already “killed” the possibility of winning any race for Mbappe. “[Buying] this calibre of player is difficult,” said Klopp. “I don’t see any club at the moment who can buy Kylian Mbappe from PSG, that is how it is. And we are involved in the clubs that cannot do it, it is as easy as that.

“OK, from a sporting point of view, there are not a lot of reasons to not sign him. What a player he is. But it is about the money, of course. No chance. Absolutely no chance.”

However, Klopp’s pessimistic appraisal does not mean that Liverpool will not be keenly eyeing developments should Mbappe seek a fresh challenge beyond Paris.

And if the 20-year-old is more attracted to the Premier League than Spain, Liverpool believe they have never been in a better position to be part of the conversation.

Liverpool did not invest in firstteam players last season and with the club continuing to grow their revenues on the back of Champions League success and commercial partnerships – including the imminent contract with Nike, also Mbappe’s sponsor – they have never been so well placed to compete at the top end of the transfer market.

Klopp believes only truly elite players can enhance his Liverpool team, and he said: “The players we thought about to make this team better were really expensive and we could not spend the money. That is how it is.

“To see a player better, or with potential to be better or play the same is difficult. It was not that we were not ready, but we did not want to make five or six changes. Not at all. They are at a wonderful age with still space for improvement.

“We wanted to do something and we could have done a lot, but we only wanted to do the right thing. That is the reason we kept this squad because it is really good and if you wanted to improve it you have to go for the right players, not just some players to fix whatever.”

With the Merseyside club’s attempt to loosen Manchester City’s grip on the Premier League title facing its sternest test against the champions tomorrow, Klopp relishes the fact that the days of Liverpool being dominated on and off the pitch by the Abu Dhabi-owned club are over.

In 2015, Klopp wanted to ensure no Liverpool player felt they had to follow Raheem Sterling’s example and leave Anfield to fulfil their trophy dreams. That, at least, has been achieved. “There are reasons, good reasons, why players want to join us, that is clear,” Klopp said.

“The club is in a very good posi

Coveted: Liverpool tried to sign Kylian Mbappe when he joined PSG last year tion. Image-wise, maybe it [always] was, but now I think it is easier to live the life of a Liverpool supporter, and that means automatically being in a situation to sign the players you want to sign. City had a very successful spell, though, in the last 10 years they have been champions a couple of times. There are different tastes and that leads to different decisions. I don’t think we struggle with convincing players.

“You speak to a player you can feel it, this year, last year, you can see in the eyes of a player, I am not sure if honour is the right word, but it is good that we speak to them. The club is in a really good position, but unfortunately it does not automatically lead to a situation where you win all the football games.”

Klopp is not a manager to play down the significance of a fixture as important as City’s visit. Equally, he says if there is a winner, there will be no premature coronation of Premier League champions.

“Yes, it is important and we want to win it, but is it because we think if we win we are already champions? No. If we lose, do we think we have no chance any more? No,” he said. “We only have to try to win the game.”