CaughtOffside columnist Neil Jones has responded to the surprising recent Liverpool transfer rumours involving a potential loan move for Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe.
While a world class talent like Mbappe would be a dream signing for any club, and Liverpool are surely no exception, Jones admits he can’t see it happening for financial reasons.
On top of that, Jones has made it clear that Liverpool’s priorities this summer have to be in midfield after all five of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain left the club.
By contrast, Liverpool’s attack looks in pretty good shape, with Jurgen Klopp able to choose from Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo in his front three.
Mbappe would obviously still walk into the LFC starting XI, but it’s also clear why a new signing up front isn’t an urgent priority for the club right now.
Jones also says it remains something of an open secret that Mbappe will be heading to Real Madrid next summer, so it’s hard to see how Liverpool or anyone else may be able to change his mind.
“Sorry to disappoint Liverpool fans, but I don’t think there’s any chance of the club signing Kylian Mbappe, on loan or permanently at this stage, following speculation of that ilk again in the last few days,” Jones said.
“Jurgen Klopp has shut those rumours down, and I think he said it all really, with the reality being that the financial parameters make it impossible. It’s not just about a transfer fee or a loan fee, but it’s his wages as well. As I previously wrote here, the time for Liverpool to sign Mbappe was when he was at Monaco but any speculation since then has been mostly fan-led.
“I also think it’s a bit of an open secret that Mbappe is going to Real Madrid next summer. That’s what PSG believe and that’s what everything points towards, so do Liverpool really want a player, as talented and game-changing as he is, that they’re only going to be able to build around for a year and then he’s gone? Does any big club really want to do that? Ironically, the one club who probably would do something like that is PSG themselves, so I don’t see any world where Mbappe joins Liverpool on loan.
“Again, the priority for Liverpool at the moment has got to be midfield – the forward areas aren’t really a concern at the moment, they’ve got five players there who’ve looked on form in pre-season, and the likes of Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo have got the potential to keep getting better. The midfield, by contrast, needs major surgery – it did at the start of the window and it still does now.”