Manchester City don finally complete move for Senegal winger Iliman Ndiaye from Everton, for deal wey fit reach £65m. Di 26-year-old don sign five-year contract with di Premier League champions.
Di transfer na £60m guaranteed plus £5m for add-ons. Dis one happen on deadline day, and e come after plenty drama wey involve Tottenham and even Liverpool.
Ndiaye don talk say e dey happy with di move. According to am, “I’ve worked my whole life for an opportunity like this. City are one of the best clubs in the world and I’ve seen them win everything as I’ve grown up.”
Di winger add say e dey determined to make im mark for Etihad Stadium. E talk say di journey no easy, but e always believe say e fit play for club wey dey challenge for biggest prizes.
Dis move no come easy o. Earlier for summer, Ndiaye hold talk with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. Tottenham also don agree terms with Everton on Friday night for Ndiaye, and e look like Richarlison go move di other way for separate deal.
But according to sources, Richarlison fail to agree personal terms with im former club, so Spurs no fit proceed with Ndiaye transfer. Na im make Tottenham turn dia attention to Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk for loan deal.
For same day, City also agree to pay joint-British transfer record fee of £125m for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez. Di Argentine international go become City’s eighth summer arrival, joining Elliot Anderson, Geronimo Rulli, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Allan Elias, Jeremy Monga and Pierce Charles.
Ndiaye journey to top no be overnight success. As 19-year-old for London, e dey youth ranks of Boreham Wood and dey play Sunday league football before Sheffield United invite am for one-week trial. Two trial games na im e take impress di then-Premier League club.
E still wait another 18 months before im first appearance for di Blades. Instead, e spend second half of 2019-20 season on loan at Hyde United for Northern Premier Division, six levels below top division. E make six appearances for im first professional football, and e often risk missing last train back to Sheffield to stay out for training pitch.
After returning to Bramall Lane, Ndiaye make im Premier League debut for March 2021 against Leicester City. But e take another three-and-a-half years before e become established at highest level following di Blades’ relegation.
Two seasons for Championship culminate with Ndiaye spearheading Sheffield United return to top flight in 2023 with 14 goals for 43 starts. But dem sell am to Marseille dat same summer.
Ndiaye struggle for France before joining Everton for initial £16m fee for July 2024. E quickly become fan favourite for Merseyside, wey dem nickname “Skiliman”. E score 15 goals and provide four assists for 67 Premier League games for di Toffees before im City move.
Di transfer fee don raise some eyebrow. For one hand, Ndiaye na player of superlative skill, evasive, quick and wonderfully entertaining with ball at im feet. E be responsible for 73 of Everton’s 250 completed dribbles last season, di highest share of any Premier League player.
Everton fans fit point to recent moves for Premier League involving City, such as sale of Savio to Tottenham for initial £75m, as evidence say di club for don demand more for Ndiaye.
But on di other hand, Everton dey effectively quadruple di initial £16m dem pay Marseille two years ago. Ndiaye underlying numbers no be truly elite yet. Last season for Premier League, e rank joint third at Everton alone for goal contributions with nine, while Beto get 10 and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall get 12.
E fit improve for more attacking team like City, but im general creativity na middling as things stand. E create 36 chances total last season, ranking am only fourth for Everton. James Garner create 26 more dan am, while Jack Grealish create eight more before im injury for January.
Grealish don effectively replace Ndiaye at Everton following im loan move from City. Since Ndiaye Everton debut two years ago, 45 Premier League players don record more goal contributions dan im 19.
However, as 26-year-old wey go surround with better players, e no go surprise if im numbers flourish for Etihad. For today’s money, £65m for Ndiaye current output fit no be as questionable as e sound.
City sporting director Hugo Viana praise Ndiaye, talk say e be extremely talented footballer. “He has worked very hard to reach this level, and through my first conversation with him, it was immediately clear how humble he is and how determined he is to become the best player he can be.”
Na so di matter stand as City continue dia spending spree dis summer.
