Liverpool news: Kylian Mbappe makes transfer admission as Andoni Iraola striker plan emerges

Liverpool headed into the international break unbeaten in all competitions, but Andoni Iraola has plenty to ponder before club football returns

Liverpool's start to the season has been far from perfect. But Andoni Iraola's side have not lost a match yet with seven games played.

The Reds had hoped to put last campaign's dismal title defence behind them and have been getting positive results to begin this term. As well as victories in both the Carabao Cup and Champions League, Liverpool have drawn three of their opening league matches and won two, their latest game a 1-0 triumph away at Iraola's old team, Bournemouth.

Iraola's side are next in action against Manchester City on October 11, just under three weeks away. But that hasn't stopped bombshells from dropping. Real Madrid and France superstar Kylian Mbappe has confirmed he was close to joining Liverpool as a youngster.

He revealed his side of the story of meeting with former boss Jurgen Klopp on a private jet. Mirror Football brings you all the latest updates out of Anfield, including new manager Iraola's detailed striker plans.

Kylian Mbappe's nearly moment

Mbappe is one of European football's most recognisable names. He's a World Cup winner with France and leads Real Madrid's line. His exploits for Paris Saint-Germain were mind-blowing and included 256 goals in 308 appearances and six Ligue 1 titles. But before he even joined Les Parisiens, Mbappe admits he held talks with Liverpool and his mother even preferred a move to Merseyside.

"It was while I was playing in Monaco," Mbappe told The Athletic, recalling events from 2017. "I had to make a decision. And yes, I was close to Liverpool. My mum was a big fan of Jurgen Klopp and the favourite destination for my mum was Liverpool. She wanted me to go there.

"I didn't listen because I wanted to play in my city, Paris. I didn't want to leave my country before I was someone. But yes, my mum was always saying, 'Liverpool – you're going to be there, playing at Anfield, it's going to be insane for you.' I was like, 'OK!'

"She went there. She went to the city, to the stadium and met the people. She was like, 'It's a wonderful club, everybody's so kind, it's a family club, a big club.' She went to Anfield and fell in love with it. She watched a few games alone, to feel the atmosphere, because she wanted to imagine me in this stadium.

"All the time we were talking. 'What do you think, Mum?' She'd say, 'For me, you have to go to Liverpool.' I said, 'OK, OK, OK!' because Jurgen Klopp was an amazing manager. I met him and had a wonderful relationship with him. I had big respect for him."

Yet Mbappe ultimately wanted to establish himself in his home country before heading abroad, and he instead swapped Monaco for PSG on an initial loan deal with a whopping £154million mandatory purchase option. The rest, as they say, is history.

Andoni Iraola's striker plan

The Reds did end up signing a superstar striker eight years later, welcoming Alexander Isak to the club from Newcastle United for a record £125m. Iraola is supposedly planning to use the 27-year-old in a specific way and wants him to adapt his game.

According to the Daily Mail, Iraola wants more from Isak and is even showing him videos of youngster Lewis Koumas in an attempt to improve his off-the-ball running and efforts defending.

Iraola wishes for the Swedish striker to help suffocate teams as his Bournemouth side did. He wants Isak to lead the press with more intent and see more of the ball, working alongside Florian Wirtz.

The manager plans to use both Isak and Koumas, too, with his ideal set-up being him replacing two of his forward players around the hour mark, in the hope that they have exerted themselves to a great degree.