Liverpool’s title defence has been pretty disastrous this season.

Jurgen Klopp’s side romped to the Premier League title last season, picking up 99 points in the process.

Even if they manage to win their four remaining matches this season, they will finish 30 points adrift of that tally.

That’s quite an incredible drop-off in the space of 12 months.

Of course, there are exceptional circumstances.

This is a season like no other with the compressed schedule, no fans inside stadiums, not to mention the ridiculous number of injuries Liverpool have had to endure.

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Perhaps Klopp will be wishing he added to his squad a little more than he did this season.

Liverpool signed Thiago and Diogo Jota in the summer as well as back-up left-back Kostas Tsimikas. They then added Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak in January after they encountered something of a defensive crisis.

But what about the players Liverpool failed to sign throughout the course of the season? Whether it was in the summer or in January, Daily Star Sport identified five players Klopp tried to sign but didn’t succeed.

How are they faring this season after their moves to Liverpool fell through?

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Let’s take a look:

Victor Osimhen

The talented Nigerian youngster was linked with a move to Anfield in the summer after impressing for Lille during the 2019/20 season, scoring 13 goals in 27 Ligue 1 appearances.

L'Equipe, per Football365, claimed Liverpool were 'very interested' in Osimhen.

However, Osimhen eventually signed for Napoli and Liverpool must be ruing their decision to allow the 22-year-old slip through the net.

He’s scored 10 goals in 22 Serie A matches for Napoli and has already notched six in 12 games for Nigeria. He looks like a future superstar.

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Duje Caleta-Car

We all know Liverpool’s centre-back problems this season with the injuries to Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.

On transfer deadline day, they added Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies to their ranks but they were also heavily linked with Marseille’s Duje Caleta-Car.

"I received an offer from Liverpool," he said. "It was an honour for me to know that such a club wanted me. We decided with the club that I was going to stay.”

He’s played 37 games in all competitions for Marseille this season as they sit fifth in Ligue 1.

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Samuel Umtiti

Barcelona’s Umtiti was another defender on Liverpool’s shortlist in January with Mundo Deportivo reporting that sporting director Michael Edwards tried desperately to sign him.

However, Umtiti is said to have “refused” to move because he wanted to force his way back into Barca’s first-team plans.

He’s barely played since under Ronald Koeman.

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Jeremy Doku

Imagine turning down the approaches of the Premier League champions as an 18-year-old.

Well, that’s what Doku did in the summer as he decided to leave Anderlecht for…Rennes.

The French club paid €26m for the forward, who has scored twice in 28 Ligue 1 appearances this season.

Explaining his decision, Doku insisted that he didn’t want to join a big club too soon in his career.

“I did a lot of research first, wrote down all the positive points and only then did I make a decision,” he said.

“I knew that I first wanted to make an intermediate step. Going to a top club now would be too soon. I still have a lot to learn and Rennes is the ideal place for that.”

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Marcelo

Yet another centre-back that Liverpool tried to sign in January.

However, the 33-year-old Lyon defender wanted to stay at the French club, who had a chance of winning the title back then.

“Liverpool? My agent spoke with them, but I feel good here," he said. My dream is to win the championship with Lyon.”

Marcelo has played 32 times for the club but they’ve fallen away in the title race and sit six points behind leaders Lille in fourth.

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