You'll have plenty to celebrate when you subscribe to the Liverpool FC newsletter Sign me up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Dejected and deflated, Liverpool players and staff returned to John Lennon Airport on Thursday afternoon.

There was no open top bus waiting for them, no parade around the city to show off the European trophy they craved.

Instead they quietly went their separate ways at the end of a gruelling campaign which promised so much but ultimately delivered little.

Liverpool exceeded all expectations by reaching the Europa League final but when opportunity knocked against Sevilla they floundered alarmingly.

If there was pride in defeat after losing to Manchester City on penalties in February's Capital One Cup final, here there was none.

When cool heads were required after that nightmare start to the second half, panic reigned. They let themselves down and the hangover will take some shifting.

For Jurgen Klopp , who will now take a short holiday, there is much to ponder.

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

Every step of the way over the past eight months he has defended the calibre of the squad he inherited.

Klopp's appointment galvanised both the dressing room and the fanbase, his man-management skills instilling both belief and a sense of togetherness.

But those qualities only take you so far. There is no substitute for talent and glaring weaknesses were exposed at St Jakob-Park.

The bottom line is that Liverpool looked like a team which had just finished eighth in the Premier League.

Now a summer of change awaits as Klopp begins his Anfield rebuilding job.

There will be no Champions League carrot to dangle in front of prospective signings. In fact there will be no European football at all so a bloated squad won't be required.

Liverpool will have to rely heavily on Klopp's pulling power as he looks to secure the injection of talent required to banish the memory of a bleak night in Basel and take the club forward.

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

Heading for the exit door

The fact that Kolo Toure was Liverpool's best player at St Jakob-Park was a damning indictment of the team performance.

The veteran Ivorian defender insisted afterwards he's still in the dark over his future with his contract expiring this summer.

Toure wants to stay but there is no offer of a new deal on the table. He's a hugely popular figure at the club and has been a great servant over the past three years.

However, he will be 36 next season and with a less crowded fixture list it's difficult to see where he fits in.

The sale of Christian Benteke is set to swell the club's summer transfer kitty.

The Belgium international has made some telling contributions with 10 goals since his £32.5million move from Aston Villa last year.

But the fact is he simply doesn't fit Klopp's style of play. A parting of the ways is best for all parties with West Ham among his suitors.

With Danny Ings back fit, Benteke would be even further down the pecking order next term. Liverpool aren't in the habit of keeping someone on £110,000 per week as an impact sub.

Adam Bogdan will also depart having failed to provide serious competition for Anfield No 1 Simon Mignolet and defender Tiago Ilori is likely to follow.

Joao Carlos Teixeira and Jerome Sinclair will move on as their contracts expire.

Jose Enrique has already been shown the door, Jordan Rossiter has signed for Rangers and Steven Caulker's loan spell from QPR is over.

Most of those Liverpool players who have been away on loan are likely to start pre-season with the club but Mario Balotelli, who has spent this season at AC Milan, has no future at Anfield.

Uncertain futures

(Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Martin Skrtel has made 320 appearances for Liverpool spanning eight and a half years but this could be the end of the road.

The Slovakian appeared to wave goodbye to fans after last weekend's final Premier League game at West Brom.

It's been a hugely disappointing campaign for the long-serving defender who has been hampered by problems with both fitness and form. He's effectively been relegated to fourth choice centre-back.

Not even Mamadou Sakho's failed drugs test could provide him with a route back into the team with Klopp turning to Toure instead.

Much will depend on what kind of offers arrive for Skrtel and also his own determination to move on.

Uncertainty also surrounds the prospects of Sakho, who should discover in the next fortnight the length of his ban for taking a 'fat burner' off the banned list.

Liverpool hope he will only get six months and be back playing in October. But the worse case scenario is two years and if UEFA throw the book at him where does that leave the club?

Joe Allen, who came off the bench against Sevilla, may have played his last game for Liverpool.

The Wales international is about to enter the final year of his contract and Klopp insisted he would sit down with Allen to discuss the future after the end of the season.

Allen, who shone in the final few months of the campaign, wants to play regularly. If Liverpool can't offer him that then a return to former club Swansea City is likely.

Lucas Leiva's future is seemingly the subject of debate on an annual basis. The loyal Brazilian midfielder is the club's longest serving player.

He hasn't been able to nail down a regular spot under Klopp and was an unused substitute in Basel, but his wealth of experience could still prove valuable next term.

Alberto Moreno had a nightmare against Sevilla. He was the glaring weak link that his former club ruthlessly exploited.

It wasn't a one-off. Impressive going forward, Moreno has been a liability defensively far too often this season.

Whether he stays or goes this summer, signing a new left-back who can defend is an absolute priority.

Staying put

Most of the starting line up in Basel will get the chance to atone for what happened in the final.

Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana both recently reaffirmed their commitment to the cause amid speculation linking them with moves away from Anfield.

Sturridge's stunning goal which broke the deadlock against Sevilla showcased that there are few better finishers in European football.

The England striker was left out of some big games by Klopp earlier in the season but his response proved he has the stomach for the fight.

Sturridge was on the periphery as the Reds struggled in the second half but he wasn't the only one.

Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Emre Can – three players so key to Liverpool's march to Basel – were all way off the pace. The occasion passed them by.

There will be back next season, desperate to make amends, along with the likes of James Milner, Divock Origi, Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne, Jon Flanagan, Ings and Joe Gomez.

Captain Jordan Henderson, who was helpless as he watched the final unfold from the bench, will be desperate to put the injury woes of this campaign firmly behind him.

Who's coming in

Klopp told the ECHO before the final that Liverpool's transfer business wouldn't hinge on whether they were back in the Champions League.

Targets had already been pinpointed but he also admitted that the absence of European football would lead to him requiring a smaller squad in 2016/17.

Liverpool played 63 games this season, 15 of which were in the Europa League.

The demands next term will be considerably less and that should be reflected in a much improved Premier League campaign.

Klopp will get time on the training ground. The Reds will frequently enjoy the luxury of a full week to prepare. Leicester City proved this term what can be achieved in those circumstances.

Bayern Munich attacker Mario Gotze remains the top target with Liverpool hopeful the absence of Champions League football won't derail that £20million move.

The World Cup winner is keen to be reunited with Klopp, who oversaw his development during their time together at Borussia Dortmund.

The Reds are in advanced talks to sign Mainz keeper Loris Karius for £4.7million to provide greater competition for Mignolet.

They also want Udinese's Poland international midfielder Piotr Zielinski, who has spent this season on loan at Empoli. Talks are continuing with the Reds adamant that reports in the player's homeland saying the deal is done are premature.

Liverpool are keen on young Leicester City full-back Ben Chilwell but agreeing a fee could prove problematic.

Centre-back Joel Matip will join Liverpool on a free transfer from Schalke this summer.

Matip and Dejan Lovren are likely to be Klopp's first choice defensive combination next season.

Gomez will be fit for pre-season but if Toure and Skrtel both depart then Liverpool will need to buy another centre-back.

Marko Grujic, a £5.1million signing, will arrive from Red Star Belgrade but he's a young midfielder who will need time to adapt to the demands of English football.

A busy summer lies ahead. There is much work to be done to ensure Liverpool are well equipped come August to put the heartbreak of Basel behind them.