Jurgen Klopp swerves key Kylian Mbappe question as Liverpool step aside in ‘battle’

Jurgen Klopp has refused to confirm whether Liverpool made contact with “great player” Kylian Mbappe over a summer transfer to Anfield.

The France star looks all set to leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer with his contract set to expire. Real Madrid are favourites to sign the 23-year-old, with Marca and The Athletic reporting an agreement is in place.

But Liverpool were said to be interested in the player again this summer. L’Equipe suggested Liverpool could revive the interest they had previously in Mbappe in 2021.

And Klopp has admitted as much, but he refused to confirm whether the club had made an approach for the attacker.

“Of course we are interested in Kylian Mbappe, we are not blind!” Klopp said on Monday.

He was then asked if Liverpool have made direct contact with Mbappe.

“Actually nothing to say about that. Between Kylian and Liverpool, it’s all set. It’s all fine,” said Klopp. “We of course like him, if we didn’t like him we’d have to question ourselves.

“But we are not, we cannot, be part of these battles.

“There must be other clubs involved but that’s fine. He’s still a great player.”

The relationship between Mbappe and Klopp and Liverpool is an intriguing one.

According to L’Equipe, Klopp spent “several hours” trying to convince the star to join the club in 2017. And from that meeting he is said to have a “direct line” to the player.

And back in 2020, Mbappe told the BBC: “What Liverpool do in this moment is amazing.

“They’re like a machine, they’ve found a rhythm and are like we play again, we play again. They’ve lost zero games. When you watch you think everything is easy but that’s not easy.”

However, it looks as though a line has been drawn under any potential Mbappe deal to Liverpool.

Even with