Klopp rues missing out on De Bruyne, Son & Mane during BVB tenure

RB Leipzig’s Global Head of Soccer, Jurgen Klopp, spoke about a trio of talents that escaped him during his time in charge of Borussia Dortmund.

Speaking at a Red Bull event in South Africa this week, Jurgen Klopp revealed that he could have signed three superstars of the modern era during his time at BVB.

The trio of talents included Tottenham Hotspurs’ Heung-Min Son, ex-Liverpool winger Sadio Mane and Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.

The 57-year-old was livid that he didn’t acquire Mane between 2012 and 2014 when the player still represented RB Salzburg. 

“Here is a Borussia Dortmund fan I have to apologise to,” Klopp said to a supporter at the event wearing the black and yellow kit. “Because I did not sign Sadio Mane for BVB”. 

Liverpool eventually coughed up €41million for the Senegalese winger to which Klopp replied, “that’s a lot of money for a player I could have signed for much less years ago”.

Klopp was equally annoyed by missing the chance to sign Heung-Min Son, whom he kept tabs on during his Hamburger SV days.

“When I faced him later in the Premier League [as Liverpool manager], I just thought: My God, you are stupid,” he explained.

Die Schwarzgelben were far closer to picking up De Bruyne than perhaps many choose to believe. Klopp put the wasted opportunity down to “double bad luck”. 

BVB’s 3-1 DFB-Pokal defeat to the Belgian’s current employers Wolfsburg in 2015 ended the allure of joining the Ruhrpott club to win titles. De Bruyne later joined Man City for €76million that year.