Tottenham know Jurgen Klopp's opinion on Son Heung-min 'replacement' after transfer talks

During his tenure at Liverpool, Jurgen Kloppdemonstrated just how keen he was to sign Real Madrid's winger Rodrygo.

The Brazilian, who is currently being linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspuras a potential replacement for Son Heung-min, was a highly sought-after talent during his time at Santos.

Klopp, determined to bring the young star to Anfield, embarked on an 11-hour journey to South America to personally meet the then-16 year old, according to the player's agent, Nick Arcuri. In 2020, Arcuri revealed that Liverpool were the first Premier League club to express interest in Rodrygo, with Klopp going above and beyond to secure his signature.

READ MORE: Daniel Levy's £60m transfer reaction after Morgan Gibbs-White farce to follow Marinakis example

READ MORE: James Maddison issues emotional message after Tottenham injury nightmare

During a live chat, Arcuri disclosed: "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 switch to Anfield never materialised, with the Brazilian choosing to join Madrid in 2019 for a hefty £39million fee, reports the Express.

Despite enjoying a stellar career in Spain, boasting three La Liga titles, two Champions League trophies and numerous other accolades, his influence on the pitch last season was hampered by the attacking trio of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham.

This dip in form has sparked rumours linking him with a move to clubs such as Liverpool and Arsenal. However, Spurs have been touted as a possible destination, with AS reporting that the Europa League champions are eyeing him up as a potential replacement for Son, who is set to join LAFC after declaring his intention to leave Spurs on Saturday.

The north London club have already bolstered their wide options this summer, splashing out £55m on West Ham's Mohammed Kudus. However, it was just seven months ago they were attempting to sign another player Klopp held in high esteem, as they tried acquiring Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain.

Spurs were locked in discussion to secure the Frenchman on a temporary deal in January, but the 26-year-old opted for Turin as he spent the rest of the season at Juventus, where he scored an impressive 10 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions.

It was during his tenure at Eintracht Frankfurt that Sky Germany reported the striker rejected the chance to join Klopp at Liverpool in what would have been a club record £88m deal.

Choosing to stay in the Bundesliga before making a £76m move back home to join PSG, he has only managed to net 11 goals in 54 appearances for the French champions. Having returned to form in Italy, the Serie A side are keen to secure his services on a permanent basis, but could face competition from Spurs who are looking to fill the void left by their South Korean superstar.