'I met with Jurgen Klopp about signing for Liverpool - but I'd already made up my mind'

There is a list of players who Kopites would have loved to have seen wear the Liver Bird on their chest.

Liverpool have not missed out on too many targets in recent years. Certainly, with Jurgen Klopp as manager, he could prise a wealth of names to Anfield. Just take Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah, Alisson Becker as three examples. The list goes on to Sadio Mane, Gini Wijnaldum and many more.

Yet there were a few who eluded. In more recent times, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia opted for Chelsea - decisions that Klopp ended up admitting worked out for the best given their early Stamford Bridge struggles. Nabil Fekir was close to completing a switch in 2018 but the transfer hit the buffers.

And had Liverpool landed Ousmane Dembele then things could have been different. The winger was coveted by the Reds in Klopp’s first summer transfer window of 2016. Dembele enjoyed a magnificent 2015-16 for Rennes when he was just aged 18 as he plundered 12 goals in 29 games. He was one of the hottest prospects in Europe a plethora of teams were linked.

Klopp meeting

Liverpool were one of them but he instead opted to join Klopp’s former club Borussia Dortmund. And Dembele admitted in 2017 that he had met with the Reds manager in Paris - but had set his sights on the Bunesliga outfit. Speaking to FourFourTwo, Dembele said: “I saw Klopp in Paris but I told him I'd made up my mind to sign for BVB.”

Ironically, it’s in the French capital where Dembele will face Liverpool yet again. The Reds have been drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last 16 and the France international has very much got his career back on track.

After two years at Dortmund, he joined Barcelona for a staggering fee of up to €145 million. Yet he endured a disappointing spell at the Nou Camp because of injury, amassing 185 appearances and scoring 40 times. During Liverpool’s famous 4-0 win over Barca in the 2019 Champions League semi-final second leg, Dembele came on for the final minute.

But a return to his homeland has helped Dembele fulfil all of his early potential. This season, he has been in scintillating form and plundered 26 goals and six assists in 33 appearances. He is one of PSG’s talismanic players who Liverpool will have to quell during the two legs, with the first taking place at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday evening.

‘A wonderful showcase’

Speaking after PSG’s 4-1 win over Lille last weekend, Dembele said: “You want to score goals and be decisive in every match. I have the balls and I think I will play more in front of the goal. And my teammates also serve me very well, whether it's João Neves today or Parcela against Brest.

"We are in good shape, and we know it will be a tough match in the Champions League. We know that Liverpool finished first in the Champions League and they are also leading the league. I think it will be a very good match. We are confident and I think they are too. I truly believe it will be a wonderful showcase."