The Everton and Liverpool fans can be regularly found in the Transfer Tavern firing verbal shots at each other over their team’s downfall but it is all in good taste.
They say that the rivalry between the two clubs is pretty friendly and that is certainly the case when they get together for a round of tequila slammers in the Tavern!
Despite their respect for one another when they face off against each other it is all about winning, with both clubs incredibly proud and steeped in history.
Here in the Tavern some Liverpool fans have been talking about players they secretly admire from their city rivals and were hopeful that these players were on boss Jurgen Klopp’s radar.
Our writer Lee Clarke was intrigued and here he picks five players who could be good acquisitions for Liverpool from just across Stanley Park.
Hit below to see FIVE shock transfers Liverpool should try to secure!
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John Stones
With the ex-Barnsley central defender heavily linked to just about every top European club around, how bizarre would it be if Liverpool made an offer that Everton simply couldn’t refuse for Stones?
The Reds are crying out for a world class defender and whilst Stones is still a little rough around the edges, he is most certainly an improvement on what they already have.
Whether Liverpool would want to blow the majority of their budget on an unfinished article would remain to be seen but Everton will have a price in mind for Stones and if the Reds can suss out that valuation, it would give them one over on their rivals.
James McCarthy
It is not hard to see where Liverpool are needing to strengthen because, quite frankly, they are looking for improvement all over the pitch.
It is hard to remember such an average bunch of players ever gracing the red half of Liverpool and signing Premier League quality players for a big push next season is a must.
McCarthy has been in fantastic form for the Toffees this season and offers that little bit of nastiness that the Reds have been missing in the middle of the park.
Is rated highly by Roberto Martinez and has attracted the attention of Manchester United in the past but McCarthy would certainly be a solid acquisition for Liverpool.
Leighton Baines
Another problematic area for Liverpool is on the left-hand side of defence where the jury remains out on the defensive qualities of Alberto Moreno.
Baines has missed a chunk of this season with injury and at 31-years-old, Toffees boss Martinez could be looking towards a younger model in the coming months.
The ex-Wigan Athletic man is a boyhood Everton fan so a move to the red half of Stanley Park probably wouldn’t appeal to him that much.
Money talks however and the chance to prolong a Premier League career could be a tempting proposition for Baines.
Tom Cleverley
The 26-year-old signed for Everton in the summer from Manchester United and has been in fine form this season for the Toffees.
As with McCarthy, the central midfielder would give Liverpool that edge in the middle of the park and Cleverley possesses an eye for a pass and that ability to get stuck into a tackle.
Everton are unlikely to want to part with him so soon after signing him but it is an area where Roberto Martinez is blessed with lots of options, so a move isn’t completely out of the question.
Gerard Deulofeu
The ex-Barcelona man has been left frustrated at times this season with Martinez preferring to leave the little Spaniard on the bench.
Signed for just £4 million from the Catalan giants in the summer, the winger returned to the club where he enjoyed a successful loan spell two seasons ago.
Still only 21-years-old, Deulofeu has an awful lot to offer and he is simply way too good to be rotting on Everton’s bench for another season.
The man who has one cap for the Spain national team could possibly offer Liverpool that extra spark in the final third that they have been desperately lacking at times during this season.
