Liverpool brought the curtain down on the 2025/26 season empty-handed as they face a pivotal summer of rebuilding. Yet things could’ve panned out very differently had Arne Slot taken a different approach last year.
The Reds surrendered their Premier League crown to Arsenal, finishing fifth and a massive 25 points adrift of the top. They were knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage and also dropped out of both domestic cup competitions.
Although Slot’s side secured European football for next season, several high-profile stars are set to depart, including Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson. Liverpool will be working tirelessly to retain key personnel at Anfield while tracking down suitable replacements for those heading for the exit.
However, the Reds might have enjoyed a far more fruitful campaign had certain calls been made before a single ball was kicked. With this in mind, Mirror Football examines how the 25/26 season could have unfolded for Slot and his players.
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Harvey Elliott joined Aston Villa on loan last summer and picked up a Europa League winners’ medal in the process. Despite this, he failed to nail down a regular starting berth and is due to return to Liverpool with his long-term future hanging in the balance.
Things might have turned out very differently had RB Leipzig pushed to secure his signature and brought the midfielder back together with former manager Jurgen Klopp. The German is now serving as head of global football for Red Bull and remains heavily involved with the energy drink giant’s clubs, including the Bundesliga outfit.
View 6 ImagesKlopp’s reunion with Harvey Elliott would’ve been one for the ages(Image: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Yet the transfer fee proved to be a stumbling block for Leipzig. Liverpool were equally reluctant to allow the 23-year-old to leave on a permanent basis and ultimately settled on a temporary switch to Villa.
Had Leipzig stumped up the £43million for Elliott and reunited him with Klopp, it could have opened the door to further transfer activity at Anfield. The midfielder’s future would now be settled, and Slot wouldn’t be working on either reintegrating him into the squad or lining up a move.
Shortly before the 2024/25 campaign drew to a close, Mohamed Salah put pen to paper on a new deal after allowing his contract to wind down to its final few months. The Egyptian had pledged a further two years to Liverpool, but will in fact depart after just 12 months.
The Reds will now turn their attention to life without Salah, with a number of potential replacements already being scouted, including Yan Diomande, Anthony Gordon and Bradley Barcola. However, things could have looked very different had the winger not agreed to fresh terms at Anfield.
6View 6 ImagesMohamed Salah was planning to leave last summer before signing a new deal(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
6View 6 ImagesYan Diomande has been a longterm target for the Reds(Image: Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images)
Had Salah departed on a high following last summer’s Premier League title win, it could have opened the door to identifying replacements much sooner. Diomande completed a £17m switch to RB Leipzig 12 months ago, but the Reds might have moved swiftly to trigger the winger’s release clause at Leganes for a cut-price fee.
Diomande is currently valued at approximately £65m by Transfermarkt, yet Liverpool could potentially have brought the 19-year-old on board a full year earlier.
Liverpool had their sights set on Marc Guehi while he was still captaining Crystal Palace. The Reds came close to securing a deal after agreeing a £35m fee and completing part of a medical on deadline day.
Yet the move collapsed at the last minute, with Manchester City swooping in during the January transfer window to secure the defender. Pep Guardiola’s side struck a five-and-a-half-year deal with Guehi worth an initial £20m, and the England international has since become an integral part of the squad.
View 6 ImagesMarc Guehi could’ve been a Red(Image: Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Had that deadline day transfer gone through, Liverpool’s season could have unfolded in a vastly different manner. City knocked the Reds out of the FA Cup with Guehi marshalling their defence and went on to claim the trophy against Chelsea.
However, Liverpool might well have progressed further in both domestic and European competition had they secured Guehi and other key targets.
Liverpool bosses must be pondering ‘what if’ after their choices failed to deliver results. Salah’s exit would’ve been an emotional blow but his statistics for the most recent season demonstrate he wasn’t nearly as productive as in previous years.
This season, the Egyptian netted 12 goals and registered 10 assists, a significant drop from his figures during the 24/25 campaign. He bagged 34 goals and laid on 23 assists during Slot’s title-winning debut and could’ve departed on a high last summer.
View 6 ImagesLiverpool’s season could’ve gone so differently(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
This would’ve paved the way for Diomande, who has racked up 23 goal contributions as a teenage sensation at Leipzig. His numbers may have been even better with the Reds, who were crying out for a younger alternative out wide.
Elliott linking up with Klopp in Germany could have led to a more fruitful season for the young midfielder and bolstered Liverpool’s transfer budget for incoming stars. While the 23-year-old did secure a European trophy, he played just 277 minutes and scored once.
Guehi’s deadline-day arrival would’ve likely proved successful given his outstanding form at City. The 25-year-old already has three goal contributions from 20 appearances in Manchester and helped Guardiola drive his side into a tense title race with Arsenal towards the end of the season.
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Guehi also lifted another FA Cup with City after knocking the Reds out at the quarter-final stage and beating Chelsea in the final.
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