Deal details and transfer landscape
Manchester City have reached an agreement with Everton to sign Iliman Ndiaye in a deal worth a total of £65 million. According to reports from Sky Sports and The Guardian, the package comprises an initial £60 million guaranteed fee, with an additional £5 million structured in performance-related add-ons. The deal represents a significant late-window pivot for the Premier League champions, who shifted focus to the 26-year-old Senegal international after failing to secure Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo.
The development marks a blow for Tottenham Hotspur, who had previously been in advanced talks and held an agreement in principle with Everton for the player. However, reports suggest the forward has opted for the move to the Etihad Stadium over a switch to north London. While the transfer is widely expected to proceed, the player's medical examination remains the final procedural hurdle before official confirmation.
Tactical rationale and squad implications
City’s move for Ndiaye serves as a direct response to a depletion in attacking options under manager Enzo Maresca, particularly following the earlier departures of Sávio and Omar Marmoush, who joined Tottenham. The need for versatile forward cover became urgent late in the window, with Ndiaye identified as the primary solution after the club's unsuccessful pursuit of alternative targets.
For Tottenham, the failure to secure their target compounds existing internal friction. The squad is currently navigating uncertainty surrounding the futures of several key figures, including Richarlison. Speaking on the situation of unsettled players earlier in the window, Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi noted: "I love these players, they are great guys, I have very good relationships, but if they want to leave, they have to bring the solution, the economic solution, to the club, and they can go, and we find other players." Meanwhile, the influx of capital from the Ndiaye sale offers Everton essential liquidity on deadline day, with the Merseyside club actively exploring a loan reunion with Jack Grealish to manage their own squad reshuffle.
