Liverpool cannot afford PSG’s Kylian Mbappé, admits Jürgen Klopp
Jürgen Klopp has claimed Liverpool have “absolutely no chance” of signing Kylian Mbappé from Paris Saint-Germain as he addressed persistent speculation of a move for the World Cup winner next summer.
The Liverpool manager believes his team’s status as European champions and Premier League title contenders has made Anfield a desired destination for the game’s leading players. Klopp also admits there are no sporting reasons not to want Mbappé, a player he was interested in when the striker left Monaco in 2017.
Klopp met family members of the France international in an attempt to convince him to sign for Liverpool two years ago but he preferred to stay in his home country and joined PSG on loan before a £160m transfer.
Liverpool’s interest, their impending kit deal with Nike, which also sponsors the PSG striker, and a lack of signings in the summer have all fuelled rumours of an astronomical bid next year and a #Mbappe2020 social media campaign.
But Klopp, who rarely discusses possible transfers, insists Liverpool cannot afford the 20-year-old Mbappé. “Buying this calibre of player is difficult. I don’t see any club at the moment who can buy Kylian Mbappé from PSG. I don’t see any club, 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. Sorry for killing that story.”
Jadon Sancho is a potential Liverpool target and the Borussia Dortmund winger is friends with several fellow England internationals at Anfield.
Speaking generally, the Liverpool manager believes his club is in an excellent position to attract its main targets.
“I don’t think we struggle with convincing players,” he said. “When you speak to a player you can feel it, this year, last year, even three years ago, you can see in the eyes of a player, I am not sure if honour is the right word, that it is good that we speak to them. The club is in a very good position. Image-wise, it maybe 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.”
Liverpool can establish a nine-point lead over Manchester City on Sunday but Klopp said the title race is too early to call regardless of the outcome. “It could be three, six or nine [points difference], whatever; none of these facts make it finished at this moment. 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.”