Klopp flew 11 hours for transfer talks with Spurs’s Son Heung-min 'replacement'

Tottenham are reportedly eyeing a move for Real Madrid winger Rodrygo as a potential replacement for the departing Son Heung-min, with Jurgen Klopp known to be a huge fan of the Brazil international

Jurgen Klopp was so keen on signing Real Madrid winger Rodrygo that he took an 11-hour flight to South America to meet the then-16-year-old prodigy. The Brazilian, who is reportedly a target for Tottenham Hotspur as they bid to find a replacement for Son Heung-min, was a hot prospect at Santos, and the ex-Liverpool boss was eager to bring him to Anfield.

Nick Arcuri, Rodrygo's agent, revealed in a 2020 YouTube chat that Liverpool were the first Premier League club to approach the Brazilian starlet, with Klopp going above and beyond to secure his signature.

Arcuri recalled: "When Rodrygo went to sign his first professional contract with Santos, aged 16, a Liverpool director called me saying that Klopp already knew the player, had seen the material, had already come to see Rodrygo personally.

"He had gone on YouTube, searched 'talents from Brazil', Rodrygo had appeared and he was very young. He came to Brazil, and liked him. They contacted me, the Liverpool director wanted him to be his first signing, Rodrygo.

"I went to England, sat in London, Liverpool have an office in London. I brought the proposal to Modesto [Roma Junior], then president of Santos. Modesto didn't accept. It turned out that Santos didn't want to sell Rodrygo and instead made the first professional contract. But it was Rodrygo's first official proposal, he was 16 and it was Liverpool."

A move to Anfield never materialised, with the Brazilian choosing to sign for Madrid in 2019 for a fee of £39million. Despite enjoying a highly successful career in Spain, boasting three La Liga titles, two Champions League trophies and numerous other accolades, the 24-year-old's influence on the pitch last season was diminished due to the formidable attacking trio of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham.

This decrease in game time has sparked rumours linking him with a move to clubs such as Liverpool and Arsenal. However, Spurs have now been thrown into the mix, with AS reporting that the Europa League champions are eyeing him as a potential replacement for Son, who is expected to join LAFC after announcing his intention to leave the club on Saturday.

The north London club have already signed a wide player this summer, splashing out £55m on Mohammed Kudus. But just seven months ago, they were attempting to sign another player admired by Klopp, having battled to lure Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain.

Spurs were in talks to sign the Frenchman on loan in January, but he chose to spend the rest of the season at Juventus, where he scored 10 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions.

It was during his stint at Eintracht Frankfurt that Sky Germany reported the striker turned down the chance to join Klopp at Liverpool in what would have been a club record £88m deal. Instead, he stayed in the Bundesliga before making a £76m move to Paris Saint-Germain, where he has only netted 11 times in 54 matches.

Now back on form in Italy, the Serie A heavyweights are keen to secure his services permanently. However, they could face a challenge from Tottenham, who are looking to replace their departing South Korean star and have money to spend.