Jurgen Klopp has dismissed the idea of Liverpool signing Kylian Mbappe this summer.
The Merseyside club had been touted as a potential loan destination as Paris Saint-Germain and Mbappe look to find a solution for the final year of his contract.
PSG do not want to let him leave for free when his deal expires next summer although he was not interested in discussing a potential one-year move to Saudi Arabia last week after Al Hilal lodged a world-record £259m bid – and now Klopp has ruled out a move to Liverpool.
“We laugh about it,” Klopp exclusively told Sky Germany. “I can say that I think he’s a really good player but the financial conditions don’t suit us at all. I wouldn’t like to ruin the story now… but as far as I know, there’s nothing to it.
“It’s possible that someone else from the club is preparing something and wants to surprise me… that hasn’t happened in the eight years that I’ve been here. That would be the first time.”
Mbappe had until midnight on Monday to trigger a one-year extension to his PSG contract. It is not yet clear whether he did or did not, but he was not expected to do so and PSG were 99 per cent sure he wouldn’t.
Mbappe was dropped from the club’s pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea and put up for sale on July 21 because PSG knew he wasn’t going to renew and they wanted to sell him as quickly as possible.
They believe he has already agreed to join Real Madrid when he becomes a free agent next summer.
The big question is whether Real Madrid will make a bid for Mbappe in this window or risk losing him to another club.
PSG are expecting Real Madrid to make a half-hearted bid late in the window which they know PSG will reject. Bidding will make it look as if they tried to pay a fee for the player.
PSG have had various approaches for Mbappe in the past 10 days and have had significant interest from big European clubs involving potential player swap deals.
August 12 is the next significant date in the Mbappe saga when PSG play their first game of the season at home to Lorient. What head coach Luis Enrique decides when it comes to his squad and starting XI, plus the reaction of PSG fans to Mbappe could accelerate his departure from the club.
Mbappe is not interested in meeting representatives from Al Hilal to discuss a move to Saudi Arabia.
PSG gave Al Hilal permission to speak to Mbappe after the Saudi club made a world-record €300m (£259m) offer for the player.
Representatives of Al Hilal were in Paris last week but there was no meeting with Mbappe’s camp.
PSG insiders believe Mbappe is refusing to speak to Al Hilal because he has already agreed to move to Real Madrid as a free agent next summer when his contract expires.
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