Liverpool 'missed out on Ousmane Dembele deal in 2016'
Heading into his first full season as head coach, having taken over from Brendan Rodgers in the early stages of the 2015-16 season, Klopp quickly prioritised the addition of a goalscoring winger.
Dembele's future was already the subject of much debate seven years ago, as the Frenchman burst onto the scene with Rennes as a teenager, coming up with 12 goals and five assists in 26 Ligue 1 games in 2015-16.
The attacker was voted the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year and was the subject of interest from numerous top European clubs, but Borussia Dortmund ultimately won the race to sign him.
The German giants paid approximately £30.2m to prise Dembele away from Rennes, but according to L'Equipe — via The Mirror — the France international also held talks with Liverpool that summer.
Reds boss Klopp is said to have spoken with Dembele and his entourage in Paris, but they were unable to come to an agreement over a deal, while Red Bull Salzburg also had a bid turned down.
Instead, Liverpool poached Sadio Mane from Southampton, which proved to be a shrewd move from the Reds' recruitment board, as the Senegal international enjoyed a glittering five years at Anfield.
Mane contributed 120 goals and 48 assists from 269 games for Liverpool, winning the Premier League and Champions League among other major trophies, and being named in the PFA Team of the Year on four occasions.
Meanwhile, Dembele's stock rose higher during his only season at Dortmund, where he managed 10 goals and 22 assists from 50 games in all competitions, clinching the DFB-Pokal title and being awarded the Rookie of the Year accolade.
Dembele's
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