How Liverpool could have lined up if they hadn’t sold their best players

Liverpool have lost a number of star players in recent years
Liverpool have lost a number of star players in recent years

Liverpool are one of the most successful clubs in English football with 18 league titles, seven FA Cups, eight Football League Cups, 15 FA Community Shiels, three UEFA Cups, along with five UEFA Champions League and three UEFA Super Cups.

However, they are yet to lift the league trophy in the English Premier League era and were last crowned as the champions of England back in 1990. Eight different managers have tried to end Liverpool's drought but no one ever managed to achieve it. They have finished as the runners-up on three occasions, most recently in the 2013-14 season.

Liverpool's failure to win trophies damaged their reputation and they found it difficult to keep hold of their best players when they received offers from clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona or even Manchester City.

With that in mind, here's how Liverpool could have lined up if they hadn't sold their best players.

Formation- 4-3-3


Goalkeeper- Alisson

Alisson is among the best goalkeepers in the Premier League right now
Alisson is among the best goalkeepers in the Premier League right now

Liverpool goalkeepers made some fatal mistakes last season, especially in the Champions League due to which Liverpool lost the finals against Real Madrid. To fix this, Jurgen Klopp signed the former Roma man, Alisson Becker for a whopping amount of £67 million.

The acquisition of the Brazilian goalkeeper helped Liverpool sort out their defensive woes and now they boast the second best defensive record in the division as they conceded only five goals in their 12 Premier League matches.

The 26-year-old is currently leading the race for the Premier League Golden Glove (seven clean-sheets), along with Manchester City's Ederson. He has made 25 saves in the league this season and has completed 326 passes.

The Brazilian number 1 is an integral part of Jurgen Klopp's side and will be key for Liverpool during their fight for the Premier League glory this season.

Full-Backs- Trent Alexander-Arnold & Andy Robertson.

Best left-back in the Premier League?
Best left-back in the Premier League?

Trent Alexander Arnold joined the Liverpool youth academy at the age of eight and made his league debut for the club during the 2016-2017 season.

He has played 36 Premier League games for the Reds thus far and has won Liverpool's Young Player of the Season twice. The young full-back also played a vital role in Liverpool's run to the finals of Champions League last season and scored two goals in the process.

His performances for the club have also impressed Gareth Southgate and he was part of England's FIFA World Cup 2018 squad.

One of the most underrated players in the Premier League right now, Andy Robertson has performed brilliantly since joining Liverpool from Hull City in 2017.

He helped the Reds end their long-term left-back crisis and contributes heavily in both attack and defence. The Scotsman provided five Premier League assists to his teammates last season and has already bagged three this term.

The 24-year-old was also appointed as the captain of the Scottish National team earlier this year.

Centre-backs- Virgil van Dijk & Joe Gomez.

Virgil van Dijk is the most expensive defender in the world
Virgil van Dijk is the most expensive defender in the world

Eyebrows were raised when Liverpool decided to splash a huge sum of £75 million to sign Virgil van Dijk from Southampton in the January transfer window of 2018. However, the Dutchman has re-paid the Reds' faith in him with some brilliant performances, turning their troublesome defence into one of the Premier League's best.

Liverpool have conceded just five Premier League goals in 12 games this season and have allowed an opponent to score just once at Anfield since February. Van Dijk adds composure to the back-line, and also brings the team together with his leadership qualities.

After struggling with injuries in the last few seasons, Joe Gomez is back to his best and is among the Reds' top performers this season.

Gomez completed 692 passes in the Premier League this season with an impressive passing accuracy of 87.3 percent. He also made 33 clearances and won 65 percent of his tackles.

Midfielders- Philippe Coutinho, Gini Wijnaldum & Naby Keita.

Liverpool are missing Coutinho's creativity
Liverpool are missing Coutinho's creativity

One of the most talented midfielders of his generation, Philippe Coutinho joined Liverpool from Inter Milan in 2013 and spent five years with the Merseyside based club.

He made 152 Premier League appearances for Liverpool, scoring 41 goals. Coutinho won the Liverpool Players' Player of the Season award twice and was also included in the PFA Team of the Season 2014-2015.

The Brazillian left Liverpool to join Barcelona in 2018 and is currently a key player for the Blaugrana.

The Dutch international, Gini Wijnaldum may not be as popular as some of his teammates, however, he is a top player and is an integral part of Liverpool's midfield.

Wijnaldum joined Liverpool from Newcastle in 2016 and has played 80 Premier League games for the Reds thus far, scoring eight goals. He is a golden thread in the team and knits the defence with attack.

Naby Keita struggled with injuries during his early Liverpool days, nonetheless, he is a top player and is among the most technically gifted midfielders in the current Liverpool squad.

Keita impressed during his spell with RB Leipzig and even made Jurgen Klopp ready to wait for a year to secure the services of the talented midfielder. He was officially signed for the Reds in the summer transfer window of 2018.

The 23-year-old was a part of the Bundesliga Team of the Season 2016-17 and also included in the Champions League Team of the Year 2018. Keita played 58 Bundesliga games for RBL and scored 14 goals in the process.

Attackers- Sadio Mane, Luis Suarez & Mohamed Salah.

Luis Suarez nearly won the Premier League for Liverpool
Luis Suarez nearly won the Premier League for Liverpool

Raheem Sterling is playing brilliant football under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, however, Sadio Mane contributes more to Liverpool than Sterling ever did and the Senegalese star deserves to be in the team ahead of him.

The former Southampton man joined the Reds in the summer transfer window of 2016 and scored 29 goals in 67 Premier League games for the club. He won the Liverpool Player of the Season 2016-17 and was Liverpool's joint top goalscorer in the Champions League last season with 10 goals.

Roberto Firmino did a decent job for Liverpool in the last couple of seasons, however, Luis Suarez is among the best strikers in the world right now and is a bigger goal-scoring threat than the Brazillian.

The Uruguayan international joined Liverpool from Ajax in 2013 and nearly ended Liverpool's Premier League drought on his own during the 2013-14 season. He played 110 Premier League games for the Reds, scoring 69 times.

Luis Suarez won the Premier League Player of the Season 2013-14 and was a part of the PFA Team of the Season on two different occasions.

The 31-year-old left Liverpool to join Barcelona in 2014 and helped the Blaugrana win three La Liga titles along with UEFA Champions League in 2014-15.

Mohamed Salah has been in brilliant form since joining Liverpool in 2017 and he also set a record for scoring the most number of goals (32 goals) in a 38 game Premier League season in 2017-18.

The 26-year-old was the Liverpool's Player of the Season in 2017-18 and also won the African Player of the Year 2017 accolade. He holds a number of Liverpool individual awards, such as being the fastest Liverpool player to score 40 goals, most goals scored in a debut season by a player and many more.

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Edited by Liam Hoofe