It’s that time of year when everyone starts thinking about themselves. When it comes to Liverpool, it’s no different.

Jürgen Klopp can surely look back on a year divided into two half. There is still an away game against Burnley to play before 2023 concludes, but Liverpool can reflect this Christmas on a hugely productive start to the season that has it firmly in title contention.

However, the situation was significantly more grim from January to June. There was a late rally as Liverpool threatened to repeat its 2020/21 feat and reclaim Champions League football, but the best efforts of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold — with the right-back moved to a new position that looks set to become a staple of Klopp’s ‘2.0’ side — were only good enough for fifth place.

That means spending the season in the Europa League. However, this is just one of several pieces of silverware for which Liverpool is still in contention: things appear to be set for a possibly prosperous 2024. Here’s how the Reds might do in an ideal new year.

Mohamed Salah signs new deal

This Christmas request has undoubtedly been made before. But that’s the truth of Salah’s ‘long-term’ contract, which he finally signed in the summer of 2022 — with only two years added to his existing terms, it was always going to be a ‘kick the can down the road’ move.

Obviously, FSG will not have been ‘hoping’ to see symptoms of Salah’s decline by now. Indeed, by fracturing its salary structure, it was indicating its belief that the Egyptian could continue to perform at the highest level for an extended length of time. However, Liverpool may have expected the contract issue to be a little easier this time around.

Salah, on the other hand, remains one of Liverpool’s major players, having scored in practically every game this season. With the extra difficulty of transfer interest from Saudi Arabia, his future should be discussed again as soon as possible in 2024.

Mohamed Salah now has 200 goals for Liverpool, with hopefully many more to come.

While there is a brief desire to cash in, it is immediately overcome by the reality that no one could fully replace Salah for this Liverpool team. He is a rock of dependability, both in terms of availability and ambitions. All the money in the world, even for a guy who will turn 32 this summer, would not be enough to keep him from leaving Klopp’s team.

That is why 2024 must bring a new deal. It’s a little late to ask for it for Christmas, but it’d be a fantastic way to start the new year.

January transfer activity

Liverpool has recently made a practice of finding bargains in the January transfer market. Although the classic adage holds true, Klopp has added Cody Gakpo and Luis Daz in the last two winters.

In some ways, this is odd, because Klopp appears to believe that the transfer market is more difficult to handle in January. He cited this as one of the reasons Liverpool is unlikely to pursue a defender:

“As long as other clubs don’t put it under the Christmas tree for us and say, ‘take it and use it for as long as you need it,'” he said, according to This is Anfield. “They’re all expensive, so it has to be the right player.” Tell me about a club that wants to sell a top-tier center-half.”

The implication is that clubs will not be willing to do business with truly exceptional players in the middle of the season, or if they are, they will demand a much higher price. Liverpool, on the other hand, has frequently defied rationality.

It should consider doing so again. While Klopp may say that he is fine with four fit center-backs — one of whom is youngster Jarell Quansah — it is evident that this places too much burden on a roster that is notoriously prone to injuries. With long-term successors required for the injured Jol Matip and even Virgil van Dijk, a peek through the January sales would be a wise start to 2024 as Liverpool looks to maintain their title challenge.

Jürgen Klopp keeps his promise

This is not the first December in which Liverpool appears to be in good shape. It was difficult to imagine how anything could go wrong at Christmas 2019.

Three months later, the pandemic struck, with Liverpool only one win away from clinching their first Premier League title. Klopp’s team dodged a total league cancellation scare but nevertheless won the trophy in disappointing, sterilized conditions. Klopp made a promise at the time. He promised a proper celebration in Liverpool as soon as possible:

“I promise that we will hold the party that everyone deserves at the appropriate time.” We will almost certainly use the first option to do exactly what everyone deserves.”

But there hasn’t been much of a chance. By the time the rules were fully eased, Liverpool was already deep into a disastrous 2020/21 campaign, and the time for a party dedicated to the title had already past.

The focus then shifted to a celebration of future accomplishment, which might serve as a cathartic, all-encompassing release. And while Klopp was able to deliver in part when Liverpool won the domestic double, it came after Premier League and Champions League heartache.

The only way Klopp can truly fulfill his pledge is to win another league trophy, one that Liverpool fans can finally enjoy with the squad. There will be no reclaiming of the 2020 crown, but perhaps 2024 can be even better — possibly even with a Europa League and some domestic triumph thrown in for good measure.