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Who could Liverpool play in their Champions League qualifier?

A 3-0 victory was enough for Jurgen Klopp's men to seal fourth, but they still have work to do

Sunday 21 May 2017 16:44 BST

Georginio Wijnaldum's goal sent Liverpool on their way to the Champions League (Getty)

Liverpool confirmed a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League by beating Middlesbrough on the final day of the Premier League season.

A 3-0 victory was enough for Jürgen Klopp men to seal fourth, but they still have work to do if they wish to rub shoulders with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

Liverpool must see their way through the Champions League playoff round, a single two-legged tie against another team that failed to win their domestic league.

Liverpool summer transfer targets

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1/9Liverpool summer transfer targets

Liverpool summer transfer targets

Naby Keita

A difficult signing to pull off, but one that Liverpool are interested in making. Keita's dynamic performances in the centre of RB Leipzig's midfield have caught Klopp's eye, but also the attention of Bayern Munich, who are also monitoring the player.

Liverpool summer transfer targets

Timo Werner

Werner scored 21 goals in the Bundesliga last season as his goals fired RB Leipzig to second place and a first-ever Champions League qualification. The German club are keen to keep him but money talks and Liverpool are desperate for an out-and-out goalscorer.

Bongarts/Getty Images

Liverpool summer transfer targets

Dusan Tadic

The Southampton attacker is out of favour on the south coast and desperate for a way out of the club. Liverpool are interested in him to provide competition and back-up to the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana with the added strain of European football.

Liverpool summer transfer targets

Andrew Robertson

Given Hull's relegation to the Championship, Robertson is one of the players in the shop window. Left-backs are at the forefront of Klopp's transfer activity and Robertson will come fairly cheap.

Getty

Liverpool summer transfer targets

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Somewhat surprising reports have arisen over recent weeks that Chamberlain will be a Liverpool player next season. A disappointing season for Arsenal has left their squad in disarray, and it is thought that the 23 year-old midfielder is seeking a new challenge. The player’s versatility across midfield positions is an appealing to Klopp, who will need added squad depth. Arsenal will not be keen to sell to a rival, but if the rumours are to be believed, Chamberlain has his heart set on the Merseyside club and a £35 million transfer could well be on the cards.

Liverpool summer transfer targets

Douglas Costa

The 26 year old Brazilian winger has gained plaudits for his performances at the German champions, yet the player stated earlier in the season that he is ‘not that happy’, presumably at missing out to Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben regularly. He would cost upwards of £25 million and have plenty of suitors, meaning Liverpool are simply one of many clubs he could choose from, although he did recently ‘like’ a tweet from a Liverpool fan about the possibility of him joining the club. There is also a chance that Costa is happy in Munich but is seeking an improved deal, which would come as no real surprise.

Liverpool summer transfer targets

Ryan Sessegnon

Sessegnon is a long-term option at left-back for Liverpool with the 17-year-old lighting up the Championship with Fulham. With only Alberto Moreno, who is expected to leave, and James Milner available in that position, Klopp wants to bring in at least two. He faces competition from Manchester United and Tottenham though.

Liverpool summer transfer targets

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

The most speculative target on the list is Gabon forward Aubameyang, who became a household name under Jurgen Klopp at Dortmund. Constant questions over his future are expected to culminate in a move this summer, and while his former boss will no doubt be interested, European giants Real Madrid are circling and thought to be his preferred destination. While the versatile Roberto Firmino has had a good season deployed as Liverpool’s first choice striker and Divock Origi a promising talent, they still lack a world class centre forward like Aubameyang. Dortmund CEO Hanz-Joachim Watzke stated earlier this year that the striker, who has three years to run on his contract, would only leave ‘for an outrageous fee’.

Liverpool summer transfer targets

Jonas Hector

A player Klopp will know well, the 26 year-old is thought to be a serious option with the manager unconvinced by Alberto Moreno. James Milner has deputised brilliantly this season but an out-and-out left back is a priority for the summer. Hector has earned 27 caps for Germany since 2014 and is known for his excellent positional understanding and for putting in accurate crosses. It is thought he would cost in excess of £20 million, which could be well worth it for a good player approaching his prime years.

How does Champions League qualifying work?

As they play in one of Europe’s top leagues, Liverpool will be given a bye to the final qualifying round.

Those who finish fourth in La Liga and the Bundesliga, and those who finish third in Serie A and Portugal’s Primeira Liga also automatically enter the final round.

The other five teams will be the winners from the third qualifying round, which is made up of 10 teams from the following countries (positions in brackets):

France (3rd), Holland (2nd), Ukraine (2nd), Russia (2nd), Belgium (2nd), Czech Republic (2nd), Turkey (2nd), Switzerland (2nd), Romania (2nd), Greece (2nd).

Will Liverpool be seeded?

Yes, thanks to a result in the Russian Premier League on Sunday, they will be seeded in the draw for the final qualifying round.

Of all the clubs who could possibly compete in the final round, only four - Ajax, Sevilla, Napoli/Roma and Dynamo Kiev - possess higher coefficient rankings than Liverpool's 56.135. If all four were to reach the final round, Liverpool would still be seeded as the team with the fifth-highest coefficient.

Also, it's worth noting that if Ajax win the Europa League, they will qualify automatically for the group stages. Sporting, the club with the next highest coefficient, would then be seeded.

Liverpool could have been unseeded for the draw if Zenit St Petersburg had taken the final Champions League spot in Russia, but CSKA Moscow's 4-0 victory over Anzhi Makhachkala on Sunday ended Zenit's hopes of qualification.

Who could they play?

Several European leagues are yet to finish and final positions are to be confirmed, but as it stands, the following teams could qualify for the final Champions League non-champions playoff round.

Liverpool will play one of the unseeded teams.

Unconfirmed teams in italics; * = starts in third round

Seeded teams: Sevilla, Napoli/Roma, Dynamo Kiev*, Ajax*, Liverpool.

Unseeded teams: Sporting Lisbon, Viktoria Plzen*, CSKA Moscow*, Club Brugge*, Steaua Bucharest*, Young Boys*, Hoffenheim, Nice*, Istanbul Basaksehir/Besiktas*, PAOK/Panathinaikos*.

When will the qualifiers be held?

The first leg of the final qualifying round will be played on 15/16 August, with the return legs played the week after on 22/23 August.

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