Before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2016, Ousmane Dembélé could have headed to Liverpool. Jürgen Klopp revealed that he tried to convince the French winger, then playing for Stade Rennais, to join the Reds.
Ousmane Dembélé left Jürgen Klopp stunned. He was not yet a star, nor a Ballon d’Or contender. Present in Boston to attend the 2026 World Cup quarter-final between France and Morocco, the former Liverpool manager revisited this episode in an interview with Magenta TV. At the time, the English club had sent representatives to meet the young French international.
Dembélé showed little interest in Liverpool move
According to Jürgen Klopp, Ousmane Dembélé did not show much interest in Liverpool’s project. “He didn’t even seem to know who they were,” the German coach joked. Klopp added that dropping his phone was “all he got out of that visit.”
The future PSG player clearly had no intention of joining the Premier League at that stage of his career. He ultimately chose Borussia Dortmund, who paid around €35 million to Stade Rennais to secure his transfer in the summer of 2016.
Just one season in Germany was enough for Dembélé to attract the attention of FC Barcelona. In 2017, the Catalan club spent €148 million, excluding bonuses, to sign him. Liverpool reportedly tried again in 2020, but once again failed to convince the 2018 World Cup winner. Dembélé eventually joined Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023 for around €50 million, where he has since flourished under Luis Enrique.
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