Liverpool could lose out on £150million if they were to fail to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, according to football finances expert Kieran Maguire.
The Reds have dropped out of the Premier League title race after a string of poor results and now face a battle to qualify for Europe's main competition.
Jurgen Klopp's side currently reside in fourth place but have a one-point lead over Chelsea in fifth, but the Blues could overtake them on Monday when they take on Newcastle United following the Reds' Saturday lunchtime loss to Leicester City.
West Ham and Everton all also able to overtake them before next weekend's Merseyside derby with the Hammers hosting Sheffield United on Monday and the Blues taking on Fulham and Manchester City before their trip to Anfield.
Whilst failing to win the Premier League will marginally impact the club's revenue, missing out on a top-four finish could cost the club up to £150million.
With Liverpool needing to reinvest into their squad this summer, with Gini Wijnaldum looking increasingly likely to leave, that would be a huge hammer blow for any future title tilt.
“Their finances will not suffer significantly as a result of not winning the league,” he told Football Insider.
“The important thing for them is Champions League qualification, that’s worth somewhere between £40m and £150m depending on how far you get in the competition.
“The difference between finishing 1st and finishing 2nd is less then £2m in prize money. You might get some sponsor bonuses, but it’s peanuts really.
“From a financial point of view, 5th vs 4th is far more important than 1st vs 2nd.”
