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£7m player says he rejected Everton because he wanted to sign for Liverpool instead

Charles Jones

Tue 22 April 2025 17:45, UK

Liverpool and Everton have had a few interesting transfer market battles over the years.

Robbie Fowler could’ve signed for Everton when he was a youngster but he chose Liverpool instead.

Meanwhile Luis Diaz was linked to Everton for a long time before he eventually made his move to Anfield.

Now, another story has emerged about a player who almost signed for Everton but ultimately ended up at Liverpool.

Speaking on Undr The Cosh, Jermaine Pennant has been discussing his career path, and he says that at one point in his career, Everton made a bid for him, but he rejected the chance to move to Goodison Park due to the fact he harboured dreams of playing for Liverpool.

• READ MORE: What sources are now saying about Everton target Tom Fellows that will be music to the Toffees’ ears

Jermaine Pennant rejected Everton

Pennant spoke about rejecting Everton when he left Arsenal.

The winger says that David Moyes bid for him around that time, but he knocked the Toffees back due to the fact he dreamt of playing for Liverpool.

Pennant would join Birmingham City from Arsenal, before he eventually got his dream move to Liverpool for .

“Well, I didn’t say, my agent did. And Everton came in, I think the following season, I think Everton came in, David Moyes put in a bid. I’m not sure if Arsenal accepted it,” Pennant said.

“I think that they might have. But then my agent said to me a lot, because I’ve always been a Liverpool fan since I was a little kid. So I said, if you play for Everton, you’re never going to play for Liverpool, you know that, right?

“I was like, oh, well, you know, this is first-team football now. This is guaranteed first-team football. And then I said, all right, I don’t want to accept the deal. I turned it down.”

Jermaine Pennant stats for Liverpool

Pennant did eventually get his dream move to Anfield, but, unfortunately for Pennant, things didn’t exactly go to plan at Liverpool.

The winger would only spend two full seasons on Merseyside, and he wasn’t a regular in the starting XI for very long, playing just 18 league games in his second season.

However, that said, Pennant did put up some solid stats for Liverpool in terms of assists.

Pennant was assisting at a rate of 0.22 assists per game, which, incredibly, isn’t a million miles away from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s rate of 0.26 assists per game for Liverpool.

Pennant was a useful player when he got chances at Liverpool, but, unfortunately for the former Arsenal man, his opportunities at Liverpool were few and far between after his first season at the club.