Liverpool now has just three matches remaining of the Jürgen Klopp era. The German is preparing to bring the curtain down on his nine-year tenure, as his side returns to Anfield to take on Tottenham on Sunday.

That is followed by a trip to Aston Villa before a final day clash with Wolves. It had been hoped that Liverpool would be in title contention for Klopp's emotional farewell but those aspirations are now as good as over.

The Reds' draw with West Ham on Saturday means it is five points off Arsenal at the top of the table, while Manchester City is four ahead with a game in hand. Third place looks to be where Liverpool will end up, a marked improvement on last season's performance.

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Tottenham still has five games to play and can tie level with Liverpool's current tally of 75 points. Villa sit fourth on 67 points and could get reach 76. It means a single win for Liverpool against either of those sides will secure third spot. And despite falling short in the title race, that would still come with a substantial financial reward, which could impact incoming boss Arne Slot.

It is estimated that finishing third in the Premier League would net Liverpool a cool $200m (£160m/€187m), thanks to the various performance-related payments distributed to each club over the course of the season.

Each spot in the Premier League is estimated to be worth $4m (£3.1m/€3.6m), with Southampton pocketing that sum for finishing at the bottom of the table last season, while champions Man City raked in $77m (£62m/€73m) . If this model was applied to the current season, Liverpool would bag $70m (£56m/€66m) for its third-place finish.

All top-tier clubs also get a slice of the $6.3bn (£5.1bn/€6bn) TV deal with the Premier League, which would mean Liverpool receiving an extra $99m (£79m/€92m) as part of its annual share. There is also an anticipated additional $31m (£25m/€29m) in a facility fee.

That total would also exclude the prize money given to Liverpool from the other three cup competitions, having won the Carabao Cup and reached the last eight of the Europa League.

Liverpool.com says: While many will be disappointed with the results in recent weeks, third-place would still be a solid improvement. Liverpool was not expected to challenge for the title this season and will be stronger for the experience. Klopp could net his successor a hefty windfall with a strong end to the season.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.