5 reasons why Liverpool won't make the top four in the 2017/18 season

#4 Their summer signings haven’t paid off

The signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been a disaster

While other teams around them signed more players in the summer transfer window, the Reds still splashed a pretty substantial £80m on new blood, and that isn’t including the unknown tribunal fee paid out to Chelsea for the services of young striker Dominic Solanke. That number would’ve been far higher had they been able to persuade Southampton to part ways with Virgil Van Dijk, but as was discussed earlier, the move fell through.

Unfortunately for Jurgen Klopp, it would appear that right now, a lot of that money has been wasted. A club-record £43m of it went on Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah and he at least has been a major hit, scoring 12 goals in all competitions already and generally performing to an excellent standard. If anything he’s been Liverpool’s standout player thus far. But the others certainly haven’t lived up to his lofty standard.

Solanke, as was admittedly expected, has barely played a part outside of cameo appearances in the Premier League and a couple of starts in the Carabao Cup. But Klopp always had him down as “one for the future” anyway. But defender Andrew Robertson has barely been used at all – just 3 appearances – which is shocking given the clear weaknesses in Liverpool’s defence and no injury reports for the Scottish full-back.

And the less said about £35m signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain the better. The England international moved to Anfield from Arsenal in a quest for more playing time and a shot at being a central midfielder. He’s received neither, being reduced to just three starts, and his bad form has even cost him his place in the England squad.

Outside of Salah, Liverpool’s signings have performed badly to be frank – simply not good enough for the standard of a top-four Premier League side in 2017/18.