Jean-Philippe Gbamin’s agent has revealed that Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp made an attempt to sign him from Mainz in the 2018 January transfer window.
Bernard Collignon, who advises the Ivory Coast international, spoke to Fussball Transfers about his client and stated that interest from the Premier League has been prominent in the past two seasons.
Gbamin has long been a consistent performer for Mainz and has emerged as one of the Bundesliga’s most dependable holding midfielders.
However, according to Collignon, Klopp had other plans for the 23-year-old when he approached him ahead of a mid-season transfer during the 2017/18 campaign.
The representatives told Fussball Transfers that the Reds boss intended to recruit Gbamin and utilise him both as a midfielder and as a central defender, but Mainz refused to allow him to leave.
Collignon said:
In January 2018, Klopp called Mainz and wanted to commit him as a centre-back, who also helps out in midfield. But Mainz did not want to let him go in the middle of the relegation battle. In the summer, Liverpool signed Fabinho.
Liverpool’s decision to recruit Fabinho last summer proved to pay dividends, as the Brazilian helped the club secure a sixth Champions League title in his maiden campaign at Anfield.
