Jurgen Klopp has already given Kylian Mbappe Liverpool transfer verdict

Jurgen Klopp has already discussed his long-term admiration of Kylian Mbappe as questions over the Paris Saint-Germain star’s future continue to dominate the headlines.

The Reds and La Liga giants Real Madrid were heavily linked with a move for the France forward last summer as negotiations over a new deal at the Parc des Princes came to a standstill.  Mbappe was eventually persuaded to stay at PSG and will reportedly £220m over the duration of his three-year deal and, more controversially, was said to have been given a say in how the club is run.

But Klopp’s undoubted fondness for Mbappe goes further back than the summer, with quotes attributed to the German boss from four years ago showing just how much he rated the French superstar.  Speaking ahead of a Champions League clash with PSG in 2018, Klopp told a French outlet: “I love him, to be honest. What a player he is and a nice lad as well, so he’s a really good kid.

“What a player, what a player.  Everyone knows him since he was 16, 17, when he impressed in Monaco’s youth teams, and I saw videos of him when he was 17 and he destroyed defensive lines as he is doing now. He’s at an unbelievable level of consistency at that age. He’s an outstanding player, that’s clear, but he can deliver, deliver and deliver, which shows he’s a really good educated boy and he knows what he is doing.”

Mbappe’s future at PSG is open to question once again after Spanish outlet Marca suggested his relationship with his club is ‘completely broken’ and the forward is said to feel ‘betrayed’ after promises were broken since he put pen-to-paper on his new deal during the summer.

Speaking at the time when negotiations between Mbappe and PSG were ongoing, Klopp admitted Liverpool were interested in the 23-year-old but admitted the Reds ‘cannot be part of these battles’ as Real Madrid ramped up their own attempts to persuade the forward to move to La Liga.

Speaking in May as Mbappe negotiated his new deal with PSG, the Reds boss said: “So, about Kylian Mbappe…of course we are interested in Kylian Mbappe, we are not blind! Actually, I have nothing to say about (contact) 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, you have to question yourself. But 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.”