Jurgen Klopp reveals the three players he would have brought to Liverpool if money were no object.
Jurgen Klopp has revealed the three players he would have signed for Liverpool if the club had access to “unlimited money.”
Speaking at a farewell event in June 2024 following his departure from Anfield, the German coach named three world-class talents he could only dream of bringing to Merseyside under Liverpool’s self-sustaining model.
Despite being one of England’s wealthiest clubs, Liverpool have rarely matched the financial muscle of Manchester City, Chelsea, or Manchester United in terms of net transfer spending. Since Fenway Sports Group’s takeover in 2010, the club has adhered to a model that requires major sales to fund big-name arrivals. For example, Philippe Coutinho’s £100 million move to Barcelona in 2018 paved the way for the signings of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, who became key figures in Klopp’s most successful era.
Although Klopp consistently defended this pragmatic approach, he acknowledged that competing with football’s financial giants without limitless resources was a formidable challenge.
During the “Thank You Jurgen” tribute night at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena, the former Borussia Dortmund manager revealed his fantasy signings: Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Erling Haaland.
“Can you imagine Liverpool as a club with unlimited money?” he said. “Imagine Mbappé here. Imagine Bellingham here. Haaland.”
Klopp admitted it would have been thrilling to work with those players but maintained that such lavish spending would not align with Liverpool’s identity. “It is not us—it just does not fit. We won what we won and we did it the Liverpool way,” he concluded.
While Liverpool missed out on stars like Mbappé and Bellingham—both now at Real Madrid—Klopp’s disciplined strategy laid the foundation for continued success. Under new manager Arne Slot, the Reds went on to lift the Premier League title in the Dutchman’s debut season, proving the club’s sustainable model remains effective.
