‘Interested’ - Jurgen Klopp has already outlined Liverpool’s Kylian Mbappe transfer stance

Kylian Mbappe's future is up in the air. Again.

After several will-he-or-won't-he sagas about whether he'd join Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain, another tussle for arguably the world's best player could be about to ensue.

A switch to Madrid hit the buffers two years ago before Mbappe signed a new deal at the Parc Des Princes in May 2022 - but he is now looking to depart. Reports suggest that the forward, who scored 41 goals in 43 appearances last season, has informed Ligue 1 champions PSG that he will not trigger a clause in his deal to keep him at the club until 2025. With just a year left on his current, PSG will now listen to offers for the 2018 World Cup winner.

There's no doubt that the news will alert the top clubs across Europe. Madrid are likely to be on alert, especially with Karim Benzema leaving to join Saudi Arabia outfit Al Ittihad. Chelsea are another who have been credited with an interest.

There will be no doubt that some Liverpool fans will be dreaming that Mbappe could, somehow, end up at Anfield. His mother, after all, is a Reds fan and he's held talks with Jurgen Klopp's side in the past before leaving Monaco to join PSG five years ago.

But, in truth, there's scant chance that Liverpool will be signing Mbappe. It has been suggested that PSG could demand between €180-200 million for the France international, which would mean the Reds would have to almost double their transfer record. Meanwhile, wages would also be out of the Reds' ballpark - especially now they’ll not benefit from the the finances that come with qualifying for the Champions League.

Not that Klopp wouldn't like Mbappe in the forward line, mind you. Despite already boasting Mo Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota - formidable options in their own right - Mbappe would be an upgrade on all of them except perhaps the former.

When Mbappe's future was unclear last summer, Klopp was asked about Liverpool making a reported approach. The Reds manager gave an answer that left little doubt. He’s a huge admirer of Mbappe but knows the finances just wouldn’t add up.

Klopp said: "Of course, we are interested in Kylian Mbappe, we are not blind! I have nothing to say about that [a reported approach] but between Kylian and Liverpool, it’s all set, it’s all fine.

"We, of course, like him and if you don’t like him then you have to question yourself but, no, we are not, we cannot, be part of these battles. There must be other clubs involved and that is fine. He is a great player.”

The fact that Liverpool pulled out of the race for Jude Bellingham earlier this year also underlines that they won't be in for Mbappe.

Bellingham had long been linked with a switch to the Reds. And with a midfield rebuild paramount after an underwhelming 2022-23 season that yielded only a fifth-place finish, the England international was the top target for a protracted period. However, with Borussia Dortmund setting a price of more than £100 million on Bellingham's head, Liverpool curtailed their interest.

Klopp never directly addressed Bellingham directly at a press conference in April. But he did use Mbappe as an example of why transfers are not straightforward.

Klopp said: "You cannot fight for Kylian Mbappe from now on and say: 'That’s the offensive player we want’ and realise then, in the end, he goes to Real Madrid or stays at PSG. For example.

“The prices, maybe you know it, maybe you don’t know it, and prices change over time, we just have to make sure.

“We have to make these decisions for the team, for the club. We cannot dream and be angry if we don’t get this or that.”