'Break the bank' - Liverpool urged to 'forget what the stats and calculator says' and pay whatever it takes to sign Kylian Mbappe - despite free transfer actually costing £75m

Jurgen Klopp's side have been reported to be the 'most credible and dangerous candidate' to Paris Saint-Germain's efforts to retain the 2018 World Cup winner, despite intense rival interest from Real Madrid. It is believed that the German manager remains a huge admirer of Mbappe, and former Liverpool defender Johnson believes that a deal could be wrapped up for around £75m ($95.10m).

In an interview with Betfred, Johnson said: "I can definitely see why Kylian would want to join Liverpool, but are they going to break the bank for him? It kind of goes against their transfer policy. Is he worth breaking the bank for? Absolutely, but it all depends on whether Liverpool are prepared to do it because everything they do is so calculated and structured, but to get this one over the line, you’ve got to forget about what the stats and the calculator says.

"You’re going to need deep pockets. I can definitely see why the player would want the move and if Liverpool want to do it, then I’m sure every fan in the country will want to see him in the Premier League. If Liverpool are going to save money on a potential £150 million transfer fee, I’m sure Mbappe’s agents will be asking for half of that for themselves and the player, so the deal will be astronomical even if it’s on a free transfer. It’s going to be expensive either way.”

Liverpool indeed must dig deep into their pockets as Real Madrid are reportedly set to offer the Frenchman a €130m (£112m/$142m) signing bonus to lure him to Spain. Moreover, PSG are also allegedly preparing a blockbuster offer of more than "100 million per season" to convince him to continue at the Parc des Princes.

Mbappe is a generational talent and it is no surprise that Liverpool and Real Madrid are willing to go the distance to sign him. However, it remains uncertain whether the forward will choose to shift his base away from Paris, as he recentlyadmitted that he has a transfer “agreement” with the Ligue 1 champions which will "protect all the parties". He will be back in action against US Orleans on Saturday in the French Cup.