Liverpool alternative season - Klopp reunion, dream Salah replacement, Man City star signs

Liverpool ended the 2025/26 season trophyless and with a big summer ahead of them. But things could have been very different had Arne Slot made some alternative choices last year. The Reds surrendered their Premier League title to Arsenal , finishing fifth and 25 points off the top spot. They exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage and were also dumped out of both domestic cup competitions.

While Slot's side secured Europe next season, a number of stars are set to leave including Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson . Liverpool will work hard to keep key figures at Anfield and find adequate replacements for outgoing players. FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page But the Reds may have had a much more successful campaign if some decisions had been made before a ball was kicked.

With this in mind, the ECHO takes a look at how the 25/26 season could've panned out for Slot and his team. Harvey Elliot headed to Aston Villa on loan last summer and ended up with a Europa League trophy.

However, he didn't receive much regular game time and is set to return to Liverpool with an uncertain future ahead. Things could've been so different if RB Leipzig had pushed for his signature and reunited the midfielder with former boss Jurgen Klopp. The German is working as head of global football for Red Bull and is heavily involved in the corporation's teams, which include the Bundesliga side. Salah departing on a high with the Premier League title last summer could've opened up avenues to finding replacements earlier.

Diomande made a £17m move to RB Leipzig 12 months ago but the Reds could've swooped in and triggered the winger's release clause at Leganes for a bargain fee. Currently, Diomande is valued at around £65m by Transfermarkt but the Reds may have had the opportunity to add the 19-year-old to their ranks a whole year earlier. Liverpool were interested in signing Marc Guehi while he was still Crystal Palace's captain. The Reds were close to a deal after agreeing a £35m fee and completing part of a medical on deadline day.

However, the plug was pulled at the last minute, and Manchester City swooped in during the January transfer window to snap up the defender. Pep Guardiola's side agreed a five-and-a-half-year deal with Guehi worth an initial £20m and the England international has become a crucial part of the team.

But if the deadline day move had gone through for the defender, then Liverpool's season could've panned out very differently. City dumped the Reds out of the FA Cup with Guehi at the heart of defence and went on to win the trophy against Chelsea.

However, Liverpool may have gone further in domestic and European competition if they had added Guehi and other stars to their ranks. Liverpool chiefs must be wondering 'what if' after their decisions failed to pay dividends. Salah's departure would've been an emotional hit but his stats for the most recent season prove he wasn't half as effective as in previous campaigns. This season, the Egyptian scored 12 goals and assisted 10 times, a far cry from his numbers during the 24/25 campaign.

He scored 34 goals and provided 23 assists during Slot's title-winning debut and could've bowed out on a high last summer. This would've opened the door to Diomande, who has made 23 goal contributions as a teenage sensation at Leipzig. His stats may have been even greater with the Reds, who were in need of a younger option out on the flank. Elliott reuniting with Klopp in Germany could have owed to a more productive season for the young midfielder and added to Liverpool's transfer kitty for incoming stars.

While the 23-year-old did add a European trophy to his tally, he played just 277 minutes and scored one goal. Guehi's deadline-day signing would've likely proved a success given his impressive form at City. The 25-year-old already has three goal contributions from 20 appearances in Manchester and helped Guardiola push his side into a tense title race with Arsenal towards the end of the season. Guehi also claimed another FA Cup with City after dumping the Reds out at the quarter-final stage and defeating Chelsea in the final.