Arsenal’s Bradley Barcola move pushes Liverpool into shock talks for Everton star

Liverpool have been in direct talks to sign Everton star Iliman Ndiaye as an alternative to Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.

The Reds have been in pursuit of Barcola throughout the summer, but there have been widespread reports they are now ready to give up on securing the Frenchman’s signature, amid PSG’s monster £145m price tag and rival interest from Premier League champions Arsenal.

With that in mind, Andoni Iraola’s side may be forced to move on to alternative targets, and Ndiaye has emerged as an option, off the back of picking up 17 goals and three assists in 71 appearances for Merseyside rivals Everton since joining in the summer of 2024.

Jamie Carragher has been left particularly impressed with the Everton forward during that time, saying in January 2025: “This fella is an absolute star. Look at the yardage at the top [39 yards], how far he runs with the ball.

“It’s the sixth-furthest anyone has run with the ball in the Premier League this season and scored a goal, and he is a superstar. He’s fantastic.”

The 26-year-old loves driving at opposition defences, as evidenced by the fact he averaged 2.4 successful dribbles per 90 in the Premier League last season, which was 1.1 more than Jack Grealish, who ranked second on that metric in David Moyes’ squad.

Liverpool open talks to sign Iliman Ndiaye

According to a report from Caught Offside, Liverpool have now opened direct talks with Ndiaye’s representatives, who has been valued at £75m by their Merseyside rivals.

With Arsenal potentially ready to make a move for Barcola, the Reds are stepping up their pursuit of the Senegal international, but there could be competition from Manchester United, who have also entered negotiations.

A Caught Offside source added: “Everton want £75m, which is too high, but it’ll be one to watch because the player is really keen to get a move. He’s decided against the Saudi option as he wants to keep playing at the highest level. I highly doubt Everton would sell to Liverpool, and there have been no club-to-club talks yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the asking price ended up being far higher for them.”

Should Liverpool be able to tempt the Toffees into a sale, the winger would be a versatile addition to Iroala’s frontline, considering he is able to play on both flanks and through the middle as a centre-forward.

Signing a player capable of playing at striker would be ideal, considering Hugo Ekitike is unlikely to feature before 2027 due to an ACL injury, which means the goalscoring burden is currently on Alexander Isak, who may need to be rested at times, with Iraola’s side set to compete in the Champions League next season.