Liverpool face youth transfer ban

LIVERPOOL are in danger of being hit with a transfer ban at academy level following claims they tapped up a Stoke City schoolboy.

The premier League are investigating claims that the 12-year-old was offered a banned inducement, with the serious allegation that Liverpool reneged on an agreement to pay his school fees.

The transfer dates back to last summer. Stoke had been paying the boy’s school fees and Liverpool indicated they would do the same, up until the age of 16, if he joined them.

But that was a breach of a rule introduced last summer forbidding the practice unless a club offers to pay for all schoolchildren at their academy to be educated privately.

it is claimed that when they discovered this Liverpool pulled out of the deal and left the boy, who had already left Stoke, in limbo.

it is most likely Liverpool will be fined if they are punished, but the premier League could impose a suspension on the club signing youth players.

The club are offering no comment until the findings of the investigation are published.

everton, who visit Liverpool for the derby tomorrow, have their own problems with their academy after Dave Adams became the second high-profile departure in the space of 48 hours.

Adams, previously head of coaching at Swansea City, was appointed to a similar position by everton only seven days ago.

His appointment had been rubber-stamped by Dr peter vint, who had been everton’s academy director for the past 15 months until he abruptly left on Tuesday.

The reasons for Adams’ sudden departure have not yet been explained.

Meanwhile, everton have been dealt another major injury blow, ahead of the derby, with ramiro Funes Mori added to their lengthening list of absentees.

The defender will miss the rest of the season after he damaged his meniscus in Argentina’s 2-0 defeat in Bolivia. He will have knee surgery on Tuesday.

everton manager ronald Koeman had a disastrous international break, also losing Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy during the republic of ireland’s World Cup qualifier with Wales.

Coleman is still in hospital after having his leg broken by Wales defender Neil Taylor but McCarthy has had treatment on his hamstring, which he injured during the warm-up.

Koeman was furious that McCarthy did not listen to everton, who were adamant he was not fit to play against Wales.

Morgan Schneiderlin is also struggling with a calf problem.