da bwin： 17 years ago today, Nick Barmby became the first player to move between Everton and Liverpool in over 40 years, harking back to David Hickson’s switch in 1959.
da bet nacional： In the near-two decades since, only one player has followed the former England international’s lead – Abel Xavier, who made the same journey across Stanley Park from Goodison to Anfield in 2002. With the two Merseyside rivals sharing the same ambition for next season of achieving Champions League qualification, another transfer deal between them in the foreseeable future seems unlikely.
But if the clubs were to do business this summer, who should it involve? FooballFanCast takes a look…
Daniel Sturridge
Everton may have signed two strikers already this summer in Wayne Rooney and Sandro Ramirez but whether they have what it takes to replace the goalscoring void Romelu Lukaku has left behind remains to be seen. On the other side of Stanley Park, however, a certain Liverpool striker is in need of a new home after falling out of favour with Jurgen Klopp – Daniel Sturridge.
Unquestionably one of the most talented England internationals around when in top form and fully fit, Sturridge could easily score 20 Premier League goals next season if Ronald Koeman rebuilds the Toffees around his strengths, namely defence-splitting pace, quality with the ball at feet and the freedom to be a nomadic presence in the final third.
Sturridge’s often lackadaisical attitude doesn’t sit well with everybody, however, and his injury problems are obviously a concern, having failed to make more than 29 Premier League appearances during any of his full seasons at Anfield. In turn, though, that could be what convinces Liverpool to let him join Everton for a cheaper fee than many would expect.
Ross Barkley
A similar case to Daniel Sturridge, Ross Barkley very much finds himself in limbo this summer. The England international has made it clear he wants to move on after rejecting the chance to sign a new contract and Ronald Koeman has been slowly yet steadily pushing him towards the exit door ever since being appointed Everton gaffer last summer, but the club’s £50million valuation is proving too steep for a player whose deal expires in 12 months.
That being said, Barkley seemingly fits Klopp’s philosophy perfectly; he’s dynamic, powerful, energetic and a real counter-attacking threat who can operate as part of the midfield or the forward line. Being part of the same engine room as Adam Lallana would give Liverpool the drive and creativity Klopp often adores in his teams, not to mention a healthy supply of goals as well.
Once again, however, the problem is Everton’s price-tag – not to mention whether Barkley will actually get that many starting opportunities at Anfield. One could argue he’s a lesser version of Philippe Coutinho, who could well line up in midfield next season following the arrival of forward Mohamed Salah, whilst Klopp seems pretty committed to giving Georginio Wijnaldum, Emre Can, Jordan Henderson and Lallana important roles next season. Where Barkley actually fits into all that remains a subject of debate.
Mamadou Sakho
He may have been deemed surplus to requirements by Jurgen Klopp at the start of last season but Mamadou Sakho showed how resilient a defender he is on loan at Crystal Palace during the tail-end of 2016/17, playing an intrinsic role in their survival bid under Sam Allardyce.
Likewise, although the Toffees have already boosted their centre-back options this summer with a swoop for Michael Keane, they still arguably need more fresh blood in that department; Ramiro Funes Mori hasn’t convinced everybody since arriving in England and Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams are both the wrong side of 30 – although their vast experience should be enough for Ronald Koeman’s side to hold out at the back for another year or two.
The age-old criticism of Sakho is his quality on the ball. But you don’t represent a highly-competitive France team on 28 occasions and become the youngest captain in PSG’s history without having something about you; for all of Sakho’s discomfort in possession, he’s a fantastic defender in the traditional definition of the word, putting his body in the right place at the right time and using his physicality to marshal the penalty area. However, Liverpool value the Frenchman at a pricey £30million.