What Became of the £34m Player Jürgen Klopp Missed Out on Signing for Liverpool

 

Jürgen Klopp was close to making one final signing for Liverpool just days before announcing his shock exit — but the deal never happened. So what became of the player, and where is he now?

January 26, 2024, is a date Liverpool fans won’t forget. After nine hugely successful years at Anfield, Klopp confirmed he would step down at the end of the 2023/24 season. At the time, the Reds were top of the Premier League, and supporters dared to dream of a title-winning farewell — though Liverpool eventually finished third behind Arsenal and champions Manchester City.

What made the announcement even more surprising was the total lack of warning. There were no leaks, no rumours, and no obvious signs Klopp was preparing to leave — something rare in modern football.

Just four days before the news broke, Liverpool had been strongly linked with then-Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners. A deal worth around £34 million was discussed, but it never came to fruition. Instead, the Dutch international joined Juventus in the summer of 2024 for £46.11 million.

That raised an obvious question: did Liverpool miss out on a top player, or dodge a costly mistake?

Koopmeiners’ first season in Turin proved difficult. He managed five goals and three assists across 44 appearances as Juventus finished fourth in Serie A, but he struggled to find consistency and rhythm.

Many fans and analysts felt the issue was tactical. Under Thiago Motta and Igor Tudor, Koopmeiners was deployed in multiple roles — including as a No.10, an inverted winger, and a box-to-box midfielder — never settling into one position. That changed when Luciano Spalletti took charge in October, assigning him a more defensive role.

Now operating primarily as a left-sided centre-back in a back five that steps into midfield, Koopmeiners has admitted he feels far more comfortable. Speaking to DAZN, he said the role allows him to get on the ball more, dictate play, and support attacks when needed — all strengths of his game.

Whether he would have succeeded at Liverpool remains speculation. The rise of Ryan Gravenberch as Arne Slot’s first-choice No.6 during the Reds’ title-winning 2024/25 season may have been affected had Koopmeiners arrived.

While it’s possible he could have flourished under Klopp and later Slot, Liverpool are unlikely to feel much regret over missing out, especially considering the £34 million price tag and his mixed spell at Juventus so far. Still, with Koopmeiners rediscovering form and confidence, there’s a chance the Reds could yet look back and wonder what might have been.