Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers admits that the Reds will find it difficult to attract top players this summer without Champions League football next season.
After two back-to-back defeats against Manchester United and Arsenal, Liverpool have found themselves seven points off the pace in the race for a top four spot this season.
While some of the players are still optimistic of a Champions League berth, Rodgers has already said that they will find it difficult to finish in the top four after losing two games against their direct rivals.
The Liverpool boss also feels attracting top players to the club next season will become an even more difficult task if they fail to provide Champions League football.
"Liverpool is a phenomenal club players want to play for, but players want to play at the top level", Rodgers told the BBC.
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"If you are not in the Champions League it makes it difficult for you."
However, the Liverpool boss admits that he is feeling disappointed because his players worked hard over the last few months to come within touching distance of the top four before handing the advantage to their rivals in the business end of the season.
Rodgers conceded that he always feared that after losing Luis Suarez to Barcelona last summer Liverpool would have a tough campaign
"We always felt this year was going to be difficult, that was the reality of it.
"Our run last year nearly brought us the title. We lost a world-class player and lots of other developments happened within the club.
"But it is frustrating that we got ourselves in a position over the last three months, very close, to then come up short in the past two games.”
Liverpool will take an away trip to Blackburn Rovers this Wednesday to play their FA Cup quarter-final replay.
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