Liverpool's Urgent Transfer Search: The Iliman Ndiaye Situation

Liverpool are running out of summer. And the clock is starting to get loud at Anfield.

The 2025-26 window has been a blur of links, phone calls and near-misses, but with the deadline edging closer, this is the point where big clubs either land their targets or live with regrets. Andoni Iraola has three new faces through the door already, yet nobody inside or outside the club believes that will be enough to mount a serious Premier League title push.

They still look short. Three or four players short.

The new head coach and sporting director Richard Hughes know it. The squad knows it. The league table will expose it if they get this wrong.

Liverpool turn to a shock name

The attack is the obvious concern. Mohamed Salah has gone, Hugo Ekitike is sidelined, and the forward line looks thinner than it has at any point in the last decade. Liverpool have been working on Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye, but neither deal is close enough to call done. No fee agreed, no personal terms settled. Just talks and hope.

They have already been burned once this summer with Yan Diomande. They cannot afford to head into the final stretch of the window locked onto just two targets and watch both slip away.

So Liverpool have widened the net. And the latest name on the list is as explosive as it is unlikely: Iliman Ndiaye of Everton.

According to Caught Offside, the club have held “direct talks” with Ndiaye’s camp over a potential move. The outlet reports that industry sources regard Liverpool’s interest as “genuine”, even though transfers across Stanley Park are almost unheard of.

That alone tells you something about the level of urgency at Anfield.

The report suggests Liverpool’s move could hint at concern over the Barcola pursuit, or perhaps serve as leverage in negotiations with PSG over their asking price. The motives remain unconfirmed, but the key detail is clear: Liverpool are one of the clubs who have engaged directly with people close to Ndiaye, and there is a possibility the situation could escalate.

For a fanbase used to poaching from Europe’s elite, the idea of raiding Everton for their star man is wild. For Everton, it would be incendiary.

The £75m question

Everton’s stance is predictable. They would only sell to Liverpool for a fee they simply could not refuse. Caught Offside report that the Toffees value the Senegal international at £75 million.

And that is just the starting point.

Any deal involving Liverpool would almost certainly come at a premium. The Merseyside politics alone would inflate the price, never mind the player’s importance to Everton’s plans.

From a footballing perspective, Ndiaye ticks plenty of boxes. He can operate on either wing or as a No.10, giving Iraola the kind of tactical flexibility he craves. He already owns a healthy amount of Premier League experience, which means there would be no lengthy bedding-in period. Drop him into this Liverpool side and he would understand the tempo instantly.

He is not Salah. Nobody is. His numbers last season – nine goal contributions – do not come close to the Egyptian’s peak output, but they do point to a player on an upward curve, one capable of growing into a bigger role at a bigger club.

The problem for Liverpool is that they are not the only ones watching.

Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are all mentioned as admirers, and all would find it easier politically to negotiate with Everton. If David Moyes – now in charge at Goodison – decides to drive the price north of £100 million, Liverpool will be forced to walk away. Their model does not stretch that far for a 26-year-old who is still proving he belongs at the very top.

Yet the fact Liverpool are even in the conversation is telling. This is not a routine enquiry. This is a club pushing every angle as the window tightens.

Ndiaye to Anfield would be one of the most explosive deals of the summer and one of the most controversial in Merseyside history. Whether it ever gets close to that point will depend on price, pressure and how desperate Liverpool become in the final weeks.

Right now, the message is simple: they cannot afford to miss again.