John Aldridge has suggested that he’d like to see Liverpool raiding one of their fiercest rivals for a player he dubbed ‘a real talent’.
The ex-Reds striker stated in his latest Liverpool Echo column that Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite ‘stood out the most’ of anyone who featured in Saturday’s Merseyside derby at Anfield, despite Mo Salah netting both goals as the home side prevailed 2-0.
The 65-year-old hinted that his former club ‘should’ try to lure the 6 foot 5 powerhouse across Stanley Park, writing: “I don’t want to upset any Evertonians by saying this, and whether Liverpool would buy from Everton is another matter as it rarely happens, but I certainly think he has got the ability to go on and become a leading figure and a starter for England.
“The fact Jurgen Klopp even talked him up before the game in his pre-match press conference was interesting. He is likely to be on the radar of other teams as well, Manchester United have already been mentioned as a possible destination, but it’s up to Everton over what they do with him.”
Aldridge added: “A left-sided centre-back is something we were in the market for during the summer transfer window, which we didn’t end up signing in the end. If we were to make a move for Branthwaite, he would probably cost a significant amount due to the English premium that we so often see in the game.
“Coming to Liverpool would be hard for the lad, it takes a bit of doing to make that switch across Stanley Park. I don’t want to upset anyone, I will stress that again, but I think he has a really bright future.”
READ MORE: (Video) Jamie Carragher taunts James Maddison with replay question on Sky Sports
It’s not unknown for players to line out for both of Merseyside’s two biggest clubs, as was brilliantly explored in detail by Empire of the Kop’s Peter Kenny Jones in his book ‘Crossing the Park: The Men Who Dared to Play for Both Liverpool and Everton’.
However, there hasn’t been a direct move between the clubs since Abel Xavier came to Anfield in January 2002 (lfchistory.net), so by the time the next transfer window opens, the Reds would need to bridge a 22-year gap in that sense if they were to try and land Branthwaite from their neighbours.
Indeed, with the 21-year-old having only signed a new contract at Goodison Park this month, the likelihood of him joining the Reds any time soon is extremely remote; so although Aldridge would seemingly like to have the defender at LFC, he’s acknowledged that it’d be fanciful at best.
As was seen at the weekend, the Everton defender has a close bond with two Liverpool players, having been a teammate of Harvey Elliott for England’s under-21s and Cody Gakpo during their mutual time at PSV Eindhoven.
Branthwaite had a fine game on Saturday, making a whopping eight clearances (Sofascore) and stifling the Reds’ attack for much of the afternoon, so you can see why he’d be coveted by other clubs.
He’s most unlikely to join LFC in the foreseeable future, but history suggests that direct transfers between the Merseyside rivals can sometimes emerge out of the blue!
🤩 EOTK FPL Gameweek 9 Review 🤩: WILDCARD time? Why Haaland has to go, don’t let Trent fool you…