Will Liverpool or Everton rule Merseyside next season?

Replacing Romelu Lukaku is one of the big headaches for Everton boss Roberto Martinez

Alex Johnson poses the question of which Merseyside club will lead the way in the Premier League next season.

Liverpool and Everton enjoyed a renaissance in 2013-14 and many expect them to go from strength-to-strength this term.

It was Liverpool who took the local bragging rights last season, finishing second and almost taking the title, but who will finish higher in the upcoming campaign?

The Reds have already splashed the cash this summer, bringing in England international striker Rickie Lambert and Turkish midfielder Emre Can so far.

With Adam Lallana poised to join the new arrivals at Anfield, Brendan Rodgers has shown his intent to introduce quality additions to the squad for a big campaign ahead.

Liverpool crept under the radar last season and many pundits pointed to the lack of European football as the main reason they were able to challenge the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea.

This term they will have Champions League football to contend with and the depth of the squad will be vital in order to challenge on all fronts. The pressure will also be cranked up this term, with more expectation following their title bid last season.

Lest we forget, there is one big question mark hanging over Liverpool's hopes for 2014-15...Luis Suarez!

Liverpool already know they are likely to be without their star striker until November after the ban dished out by FIFA following his now infamous incident at the World Cup.

Will Suarez still be at Anfield come August? If so, how quickly will it take for him to get back to the heights of last season, having not played or trained for such a long time?

Meanwhile, Everton are looking to build on their achievement of a fifth-place finish last season but they will have similar issues to their local rivals.

After a long spell of relative success under David Moyes, the Blues took a huge stride forward in Roberto Martinez's first season in charge. Not only did they finish in the European places, but their style of football has also been lauded.

Again, like Liverpool, they went under the radar having lost their long-time manager and brought in a coach who had never challenged himself at the top end of the Premier League.

But Everton showed, particularly with wins at Manchester United and home successes over Chelsea and Arsenal, that they can mix it with the best the Premier League has to offer and that there could be more to come.

With a couple of better signings in January, Everton could have been preparing for the Champions League rather than the Europa League, which could be a hindrance for them this term.

Many teams have struggled with the workload that Europe's second-ranked club competition brings, playing Thursdays and then in the league on a weekend. Martinez will have to be shrewd with his squad rotation if Everton are to be as competitive as last season.

It also remains to be seen just how much the Spaniard will have to spend on new recruits this summer, with no new arrivals to date.

That will have a big impact on how well they can do both domestically and in Europe, with Martinez likely to have to find a couple of bargains.

The big problem for Everton will be how to replace Romelu Lukaku, who seems certain to be playing his football for another team in 2014-15.

The Belgian international scored 15 goals during his loan spell at Goodison Park and his departure will leave a massive void up front. That will also bring more pressure on the young shoulders of Ross Barkley, but the extra responsibility might see him flourish.

So on the face of it, the two Merseyside clubs should be close rivals again this season but Liverpool's extra transfer power is likely to see them finish above the Blues again.