Ndiaye to Man City: A silky entertainer for Maresca - but poor business by Everton

Analysis

Matthew Judge | Editor

In one of the most eye-catching deals of the summer, Iliman Ndiaye is set to join Manchester City from Everton on transfer deadline day.

The Senegal international will undergo a medical today ahead of joining the Cityzens for a €75.8million (£65m) package including add-ons.

STATS

Iliman Ndiaye

F (R), M (RL)

Everton

Iliman Ndiaye

F (R), M (RL)

Everton

All Tournaments

2025/26

• 34

  Games

• 6

  Goals

• 3

  Assists

View all stats

Ndiaye is poised to fulfil his dream of playing Champions League football with Man City - but the deal represents worrying business by Everton.

Here, FootballTransfers takes a quick look at what all parties stand to gain from the transfer as it edges closer to completion.

Man City: Great value for money for silky entertainer

Ndiaye has developed a reputation as one of - if not the - most entertaining Premier League player outside of the so-called top six teams.

A two-footed dribbler who has every trick in his locker, the 26-year-old sets pulses racing as he weaves his way through many a midfield.

And so when you consider he can also play on both flanks and as a No. 10, his €75m price tag represents great value in a hyper-inflated market.

Ndiaye’s numbers do not necessarily leap off the page, with the forward having produced two fewer goal contributions (17 goals, four assists) than Savio (seven goals, 16 assists) in the last two seasons.

However, Ndiaye was playing in a less competitive team than Savio, and in fewer competitions too, and so there is every chance his numbers will rise when surrounded by more quality.

Ndiaye is also costing City less than the €87.5m (£75m) plus €10m (£8.57m) in add-ons they received from Tottenham Hotspur for Savio - which looks great on the balance sheet.

The only concern for Enzo Maresca's side is that Ndiaye is not a player who can provide cover for Erling Haaland - something they currently lack in their squad.

And the one worry for Ndiaye would be the competition for places at City, who have Antoine Semenyo, Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, Allan Elias and Ryan McAidoo as options in the positions he can cover.

Everton: Broken promises over a poorly-timed sale

“Our vision is very much that our best players like Ndiaye are retained, play at the club and help us achieve what we all want to achieve.”

Those were the bullish words of Everton chief executive officer (CEO) Angus Kinnear - exactly two weeks (18 August) before transfer deadline day.

And so it comes as no surprise that large sections of the Everton fanbase are up in arms over what can only be seen as broken promises by the hierarchy.

When there were reports earlier in the window that Ndiaye was attracting interest from a host of clubs, most Everton supporters were diplomatic.

No fan wants to see one of their best players leave but a mooted €82m (£70m) fee would have allowed Everton to strengthen in a number of areas, particularly right-back - a position that he has been abandoned for years.

And so to see Ndiaye leave for less than what Toffees officials were originally believed to be demanding - at a time when there now appears to be no quality right-backs left available - is a baffling transfer strategy from those involved.

West Ham United, for example, dug their heels in and received their asking prices for Mateus Fernandes (€99m/£85m) and Crysencio Summerville (€64.5m/£55.2m) this summer, despite suffering relegation to the Championship last term, yet Everton have been unable to do the same.

Ndiaye’s departure also comes after the Everton board hastily abandoned selling academy star Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest following a backlash from fans who attended Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.

It is worrying times for Everton who need to address the “flatter” recruitment model designed by Kinnear, which sees different roles allocated to different people - including Nick Cox (technical director), Chris Hammond (player trading) and James Smith (scouting and recruitment) - rather than an all-powerful sporting director with a clear vision.

Everton fans will tell you this has been coming, with manager David Moyes favouring older, experienced players - such as Jack Grealish (30) and Christian Norgaard (32) - while some members of the recruitment team prefer younger stars with potential, including Thierno Barry (23), Tyrique George (20), Hayden Hackney (24) and Tyler Dibling (20).

There is also growing concern over the direction of the club under The Friedkin Group, who have stayed in the distance since their takeover was finalised in December 2024 but - as things stand - may have put their trust in the wrong people.

Written by

Matthew Judge | Editor

Matthew Judge is a freelance sports writer from Liverpool, United Kingdom. He has worked for/had words published by WSL Football (WSL & WSL2), Everton Football Club, The Independent, Daily Mirror, Stats Perform, Goal and Squawka, among others.

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