Liverpool’s inconsistent form this season leaves them off the pace at the top of the Premier League, with a top-four finish and qualification for Champions League next term looking less and less likely.
The Reds are in sixth place, six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand. Failure to qualify for Europe’s elite competition next season will almost certainly see one or two players move on and a struggle to attract top-class players to replace them.
Virgil van Dijk spelled out the problem quite clearly, referring to the departure of Roberto Firmino at the end of the season, plus others maybe.
“Obviously, players are going to leave,” the Dutch defender said. “That’s been announced so if we want to be where we have been the last five years, we need quality imports, especially with those players leaving.
“Everyone knows that’s going to be very difficult. It is going to be very difficult to find the right players but the club has to do their job in this case.
“We still have a lot of games to play and we want to be in the Champions League. I think that will also help to attract the best players in the world. Not all the time but it will definitely help.”
