Liverpool set to battle PL rivals to sign “top drawer” star

Liverpool had one of the most-talked-about summer transfer windows when they dropped £450m on new additions ahead of this season.

On paper, it looked like the dream recruitment drive from the Premier League champions, but the reality hasn’t matched the intention, and the Reds now find themselves in unprecedented territory.

Before playing West Ham United this afternoon, Liverpool have fallen as far as 13th in the top-flight table and are currently 11 points adrift of the league leaders Arsenal.

Arne Slot has led his side to the worst form they’ve displayed since the 1950s, and pressure on the Dutchman is rapidly increasing with every passing fixture.

The signings of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong gave an insight into the ambitions that the club have for continued success on Merseyside, and the powers behind the scenes won’t be happy with what they’re seeing.

Despite defensive issues being the catalyst in Liverpool’s deep troubles, the attacking threat has largely suffered too, with goals coming too few and far between for the likes of Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Isak and Ekitike.

The January transfer window offers an opportunity for the club to further strengthen the squad ahead of the second half of the campaign, and they have already been strongly linked with a return to the negotiating table to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi.

However, a new report has suggested that Liverpool may look to add even more reinforcements to their attacking threat, and could be looking close to home for a solution.

According to Footmercato, Liverpool are set to compete with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur for the signing of Everton star Iliman Ndiaye.

The French news outlet claims that he has caught the eye of several Premier League clubs for his performances for the Toffees and is high on the shortlist for the three clubs.

In the history of the two Merseyside clubs, only 29 players have been transferred between the rivals, with the last direct transfer made in 2002 when Abel Xavier joined Liverpool.

It is incredibly rare for the clubs to do business together, which automatically makes the chances of signing Ndiaye very slim.

However, the 25-year-old – once hailed as a “top drawer” player by Everton boss David Moyes – does possess an attacking profile that would attract the interest of their neighbours.

Ndiaye boasts strengths in finishing and dribbling, something he has confidently displayed this season since striking up an attacking partnership with former Man City star Jack Grealish.

Over 52 appearances for the Toffees, the talented right winger has scored 15 goals and registered one assist so far.

Ndiaye signed for Everton for £15m on a five-year contract back in July 2024, so it would be interesting to see how much the Blues value him now and how Liverpool’s interest could affect that price tag.

With that being said, in the immediate it seems like a non-starter for Liverpool considering their desperate need to focus on defensive reinforcements, but it shouldn’t be ruled out as a potential move for the future.

Rebekka Arnold is an experienced writer with a strong background in digital media, PR and football journalism.

Since 2021, Rebekka has written opinion pieces and match reaction content for Football Fancast, part of the Snack Media network, building on her growing presence in the football community through viral Twitter content and podcasting.

Now at Transfer Tavern, Rebekka brings her sharp eye for analysis and deep passion for the game to deliver engaging football opinion and breaking transfer news content.