Klopp: Liverpool didn’t fancy Mkhitaryan and had no interest signing him

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp claims that he had no interest in signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund.

Klopp managed Mkhitaryan at Borussia Dortmund and there was plenty of speculation suggesting the German would be reunited with the midfielder at Anfield.

But that was never an option, according to Klopp with the German coach questioning the ability of Mkhitaryan to develop having known the player so well previously in Germany.

The 27-year-old Armenia star eventually signed for Manchester United for £35million earlier this month, but Klopp maintains he was never a target for Liverpool.

“I had that player,” Klopp told the Liverpool Echo. “If you have had players, you know more about them.

“You want to learn about other players. That’s how it is.

“We didn’t look for players we had already worked with. If you do that, you know their good, their bad and you wonder whether you will do it again.

“It’s not boring but you know everything about each other so how can you develop? Where is the next step? Where is the next push for development?

“We could have gone for a lot of players. But, first of all, you have to think, ‘what do I need?’”