Key facts
- Manchester City agreed to pay Everton £60m guaranteed plus £5m in add-ons (£65m total) for Iliman Ndiaye
- Ndiaye set to undergo medical after City moved in following collapsed £80m move for Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo
- Tottenham’s planned deal for Ndiaye unraveled after Richarlison refused personal terms; he rejected a £35m move back to Everton
- Richarlison issued emotional statement on Monday saying he will not allow his future to be decided for him and will stay at Spurs
- Tottenham pursuing season-long loan move for Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk as alternative
- Everton has until Tuesday’s transfer deadline to find a replacement for one of their key attacking players
The deal and the hijack
Manchester City have agreed to sign Iliman Ndiaye from Everton for up to £65m, with £60m guaranteed and a further £5m in add-ons. The Senegal winger is set to undergo a medical after the two clubs reached an agreement.
City’s move came as a surprise hijack of an existing deal. Tottenham had agreed terms with Everton on Friday night for Ndiaye to join the London club in a package that included Brazilian forward Richarlison moving to Everton. However, the transfer broke down on Monday when Richarlison refused to agree personal terms with Everton, who had made a £35m offer for him. As a result, Tottenham were unable to proceed with the Ndiaye purchase.
In an emotional statement posted on Instagram on Monday, Richarlison said he had decided that no one would decide his future for him. He acknowledged that while his intention was to return to Everton, the negotiations had proceeded in a way he did not accept. He confirmed he remains under contract at Spurs and will stay with the club.
Why City moved in
Manchester City registered interest in Ndiaye last week and moved swiftly to secure him after their attempts to sign Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo fell through. City had opened talks with Liverpool over an £80m deal for the Netherlands international, but Liverpool’s willingness to sell depended on their ability to sign a replacement. Liverpool completed the signing of France forward Bradley Barcola from Paris St-Germain for up to £123m on Monday but then pursued alternatives like Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh and Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr. Valuation issues with both players proved problematic, and Liverpool are now expected to keep Gakpo unless they can revive a deal for another winger before the Tuesday deadline.
What comes next
Everton now faces the urgent task of finding a replacement for one of their most important attacking players before the transfer window closes on Tuesday night. Tottenham have moved on from the Ndiaye deal and are in talks to sign Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk on a season-long loan. Mudryk, a Ukraine international, recently had his doping ban resolved and played under Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi at Shakhtar Donetsk. Manchester City have also opened talks with Chelsea over a potential deal for Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández, who has expressed a desire to leave Stamford Bridge.
Sources
- Yahoo Sports — Man City agree £65m deal for Everton's Ndiaye · Man City agree Ndiaye deal
- The Guardian
- BBC Sport
Featured photo: Ratchet8865 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)