Liverpool Transfer News: Rumours on James McCarthy, Andriy Yarmolenko, More

Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher won't be a popular man with the blue half of Merseyside after suggesting the Reds should entertain the idea of making a transfer move for Everton midfielder James McCarthy.

Brendan Rodgers' men will need to find a replacement for captain and longtime contributor Steven Gerrard at the end of the 2014-15 season, and Carragher thinks McCarthy would be a solid choice, as he told the Irish Examiner (h/t Metro's Ben Grounds):

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I love McCarthy, I think he’s a brilliant player. If there was one player I could take from Everton to Liverpool, it would be James McCarthy. I think he’s just got to add goals. Jordan Henderson was maybe at that stage a year ago, where you really like what you see but there could be a few more goals or assists to take him up another level.

Even though James McCarthy plays a more defensive role, he’s shown he can get forward. He’s a complete midfield player — he works hard, he can tackle, he can pass. I think eventually he’ll be the captain there.

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McCarthy certainly isn't the best scorer—just one goal all season, per WhoScored.com—but his relentless energy and hustle in the centre of the pitch makes him one of Everton's most pivotal contributors.

The 24-year-old has steadily grown into a very strong all-round midfielder during his time at Goodison Park, making a big impression on the Liverpool Echo's Tony Scott with his performance against Newcastle United:

McCarthy wouldn't be a straight-up replacement for Gerrard, but Liverpool may not be looking for such a player, anyway. Bleacher Report's Andy Brassell recently looked at the fit of William Carvaho with the Reds, another midfielder more renowned for his defensive prowess:

That said, Everton will do everything in their power to keep the Ireland international from joining their biggest rivals, and McCarthy's price tag would be relatively large should the Reds proceed with a move. Imagining his fit with Liverpool is one thing, but a transfer seems unlikely at this moment.

Speaking of Everton, the Daily Star's Steve Millar reports Toffee-killer Andriy Yarmolenko is also on Liverpool's wish-list. The 25-year-old found the net in Dynamo Kyiv's 5-2 thrashing of Everton, but according to Millar, he's been a target for the Reds for much longer already:

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Andriy Yarmolenko, 25, scored for Dynamo Kiev in the 5-2 hammering on Thursday night to put the Premier League on full alert with his man-of-the-match performance.

Ukraine’s player of the year has long been admired by Liverpool – who are still waiting for Raheem Sterling to commit to a new contract, with Manchester City reportedly willing to splash £50m to snatch him away from Anfield.

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There's no denying the Ukrainian is a fantastic player—he leads the Europa League in assists and has been an impressive contributor for Dynamo for years. Brazilian football expert Zizouology wonders why he isn't already playing abroad:

The timing of this rumour is somewhat fishy, however. People remember the name because of the stunner he scored against Everton, and suddenly, he's reportedly a target. As an winger/forward, he doesn't fill a particular need for the Reds, who will be targeting other positions this summer.

It's perfectly possible Liverpool are interested in Yarmolenko, who is a fine player, but fans shouldn't read too much into these initial rumours and see how they develop.

Finally, Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sporttielo has dismissed rumours he's joining Liverpool, as shared by Metro:

The 22-year-old stopper is enjoying a breakout season in Bergamo, with some fans even calling on Antonio Conte to hand him his first cap for the Italian national team. Sporttielo's fine form has reportedly attracted the attention of a number of big clubs.

AC Milan are often mentioned as a suitor given their need to get younger at the position, as reported by Metro's Lewis Rudd. Liverpool were recently added to the list following reports that they had sent scouts to watch the goalkeeper, per Sky Sport's Fabrizio Romano:

Sportiello is a fine talent, but he's only just established himself as Atalanta's No. 1. The transfer speculation is frankly absurd, and while a move to Milan shouldn't be ruled out, the young stopper seems to realise Bergamo is the best place for him right now.

It would make little sense for Liverpool to invest in an inexperienced, relatively unproven goalkeeper with Simon Mignolet rounding into form. The Reds will either invest in a clear upgrade or give the Belgian some actual competition—not move for someone who would spend the next two years on the bench, anyway.

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