“It Has to Happen”: The Shocking Story Behind Liverpool’s Possible Move for Everton Star Iliman Ndiaye — and Why He May Be the Chosen Successor to Mohamed Salah
“It has to happen.”
Those were the quiet but decisive words circulating through Liverpool’s inner corridors in recent weeks. A sentence whispered, not shouted — yet carrying the weight of a club preparing for a future nobody truly wants to face.
Because the truth is here, unavoidable and uncomfortable:
One day, Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool.
The Egyptian King.
The scorer of impossible goals.
The man who defined an era.
And when that day arrives, Liverpool cannot afford to hesitate. They need the next heir already waiting. The next star ready to carry the weight of a legacy that reshaped Liverpool’s modern identity.
That search has taken a twist so bizarre, so dramatic, that it feels almost forbidden.
The man some inside Liverpool believe is destined to replace Salah… is an Everton player.
Yes — an Everton star as Liverpool’s future right-wing hero.
The Name Nobody Expected: Iliman Ndiaye
At first glance, the idea feels outrageous. Liverpool and Everton, separated by a park but divided by a century of rivalry, pride, and tribal passion. Transfers across Stanley Park simply do not happen.
And yet, in the unpredictable theatre of football, the impossible sometimes becomes the inevitable.
Under Arne Slot and new sporting director Richard Hughes, Liverpool have shifted their recruitment philosophy. It’s no longer about marquee names — it’s about identity, fit, and tactical intelligence.
Slot’s system demands wide forwards who glide through defenders, thrive in chaos, and create openings where none exist.
Enter Iliman Ndiaye — currently Everton’s brightest spark.
A dribbler of rare talent.
A creator who bends defensive lines with ease.
A player whose style mirrors what Liverpool have lacked when Salah is rotated or tightly marked.
The Salah Reality: The Cycle Is Turning
Salah is under contract until 2027, but inside the club, few expect him to stay that long.
Not because he isn’t still brilliant — he is.
Not because he’s no longer committed — he absolutely is.
But eras end.
Legacies shift.
And Liverpool must prepare before the goodbye moment comes.
For the next generation of Liverpool’s attack, Richard Hughes cannot simply pick a numbers replacement. He needs someone who can evolve the entire flank — someone who brings something new, something unpredictable, something electric.
Ndiaye’s Explosion at Everton
Since joining Everton, Ndiaye has transformed into one of the Premier League’s most dangerous one-on-one players.
Already:
✅ 25 successful take-ons — top five in the league
✅ Constant line-breaking dribbles
✅ Creativity in tight spaces
✅ Fearlessness against deep blocks
Liverpool have struggled recently against teams who sit deep and defend. During Salah’s peak, one moment of brilliance solved that problem.
But as Salah ages, Liverpool lack a winger who can dribble through traffic and create something from nothing.
Ndiaye does that every week.
Why the Comparison Works — and Why It Doesn’t
Ndiaye is not Salah.
He may never score 30 goals a season.
But his strengths could be perfect for Slot’s Liverpool:
- Flair over pure pace
- Creativity over repetition
- Chaos over structure
- Space creation over space finishing
He draws defenders in.
He opens lanes for strikers.
He creates movement — the foundation of Slot’s football.
The Forbidden Wall: The Merseyside Divide
There is one huge obstacle:
Liverpool and Everton do not do business.
Not officially.
Not quietly.
Not ever.
The last direct transfer was Abel Xavier in 2002 — and the city nearly exploded.
Liverpool admired Anthony Gordon — Everton refused.
They tracked Jarrad Branthwaite — Everton locked him down.
Trying to sign Ndiaye would break a two-decade taboo.
But some inside Liverpool believe it could be worth the storm.
Money talks.
Football changes.
And Everton, depending on financial pressure, may one day need to listen.
Ndiaye: A Liverpool Heart in a Blue Shirt
What makes the idea even more fascinating is Ndiaye’s story.
A player who climbed from the lower leagues…
A fighter with technical brilliance…
A creator with courage and personality…
His journey feels like Liverpool.
His mentality feels like Liverpool.
His style feels like Liverpool.
He almost seems like a Liverpool player — just wearing the wrong colour.
The Reality: Salah’s Successor Must Be Ready
When Salah eventually leaves — whether in 2026 or 2027 — Liverpool cannot rebuild from scratch.
They need someone:
✅ Premier League-ready
✅ Young enough to grow
✅ Technical enough for Slot
✅ Brave enough for Anfield
✅ Creative enough to replace magic with magic
Ndiaye checks every box.
What This Move Would Mean
If Liverpool made this transfer happen, it would:
- Shock English football
- Break a decades-old rivalry barrier
- Generate global headlines
- Signal the beginning of Liverpool’s post-Salah era
- Mark Richard Hughes as a bold, fearless leader
For Ndiaye, crossing the divide would be a football storybook moment.
For Everton fans, it would be betrayal.
For Liverpool fans, it would be controversial — until he scored under the Kop.
Football heals quickly when the goals arrive.
“It Has to Happen.”
The phrase keeps returning inside Anfield.
Not as hope — but as strategy.
Because destiny in football doesn’t obey colours.
It obeys greatness.
And greatness sometimes hides in the most unexpected places — even across Stanley Park.
If Salah defined Liverpool’s past decade…
Maybe Ndiaye is preparing, unknowingly, to define the next one.
And that is why, for some inside the club, the belief grows louder:
“It has to happen.”
