Liverpool serious contenders for Kylian Mbappe - Jurgen Klopp 'presses' for transfer

Premier League champions Liverpool are genuine contenders to sign Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain, with Jurgen Klopp 'pressing' for a deal.

The 22-year-old is arguably the most coveted young footballer in the world, having already scored 137 senior club goals in 219 appearances. Named as the second best striker in the world in 90min's Welcome to World Class series, he has won four Ligue 1 titles to date and is only the second teenager ever to score in a World Cup final.

Adding to Mbappe's allure is the fact that his contract is set to expire in the summer of 2021.

Real Madrid have long been tipped to move for the striker if/when he decides to move on from PSG, while Liverpool - now backed by Mbappe's sponsor Nike - have been touted as another possible destination.

According to CANAL+ journalist Geoffroy Garetier, Liverpool are a serious option for Mbappe.

He claims that Reds boss Klopp has been 'pressing' Mbappe's close circle to convince him of a move to the 2019 Champions League winners.

Liverpool's secret weapon

Garetier adds that Fabinho could be the 'secret weapon' in convincing Mbappe to trade Paris for Merseyside, owing to the pair's relationship from their Monaco days together.

Fabinho has apparently talked up Anfield and the impact of Klopp on his game to his former teammate.

Garetier also suggested Liverpool's appeal as a project for Mbappe, where he would be both the superstar on the team and a place where he could develop his game.

The French superstar famously fired up the rumour mill back in 2020 when he heaped praise on the Reds in interviews with the British press.

Real Madrid's stance on Mbappe

Real Madrid, however, has long been reported as Mbappe's dream club and Madrid's other big daily, Marca, meanwhile insist that the 13-time European champions will go after their target again this summer, having been made to rue missing out on him back in 2017.

Marca say that the decision for PSG is 'clear', they will either convince Mbappe to sign a contract extension this summer, or they will sell him for around €150m (£135m) to avoid losing an enormous asset worth for free in a year's time.

Because of Madrid's awkward financial situation brought on by the pandemic, they would need to sell to buy, however.

Vinicius Junior has previously been named as a possible makeweight in a deal should Madrid push for Mbappe, while Marca add that Raphael Varane and Casemiro could also be used in a part-exchange deal.

Sergio Ramos' precarious future could also, ultimately have a say, with the club captain's contract up this summer as he refuses to accept a pay cut.

Despite confidence that Los Blancos will be in the race for Mbappe regardless, Marca's piece calls it 'an almost impossible operation'.

Liverpool's finances

It should be noted at this point that Liverpool's post pandemic finances are unlikely to look a lot brighter than Real Madrid's, making the business of finding a spare €150m (plus wages and agents' fees) tricky.

Revenues have reportedly dipped by 8% this year, while the lack of movement in the January transfer window to sign a new centre back has been perhaps indicative of the owners' inability to spend right now.

Commenting on Mbappe's situation and the possibility of a Liverpool deal, transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano told Anfield Watch: “If we were back in a normal situation, for sure, we can start talking about Liverpool and Real Madrid making moves for Kylian Mbappe, if he won’t extend his contract with PSG.

“[Liverpool would be] spending, in my opinion, more than €150m and paying an enormous salary to Mbappe.

"The salary would be I would think around €20m after taxes per season for Kylian Mbappe.

“It would be like signing a new player every season. It would be really difficult in this kind of situation with the pandemic. It would be impossible for every club.”

Mauricio Pochettino says Mbappe is 'happy and committed'

Speaking on Mbappe's future, PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino was confident that his star man would sign a new contract.

He said, via Eurosport: "There are a lot of rumours, but I think he will be at PSG for many years to come, and that's the club's hope.

"We are counting on him for as long as we are here. It's true that he has to make a decision [on his future], but he seems happy and very committed to this project."