Iliman Ndiaye Everton transfer decisions made after interest and interviews ramp up speculation. Liverpool ECHO Everton FC writers Chris Beesley and Connor O'Neill have their say over the future of star man Iliman Ndiaye.
An article in The Athletic on June 2 stated that Everton want to hand Iliman Ndiaye a new deal on improved wages as a reward for his form since his £15million move from Olympique Marseille in July 2024. But despite having been in talks since the start of the year his camp have rejected “multiple” contract offers for the star, who is “likely” to have a projected transfer value of around the £70million mark.
Since then, Joe Thomas has reported in the ECHO that Ndiaye is among Manchester United’s shortlist of potential summer targets with the Daily Mail claiming that both Arsenal and Manchester City are also among his admirers.
However, given the player is under contract until 2029, Everton – who, like manager David Moyes, do not want this transfer to happen – are under no obligation to entertain interest.
Meanwhile, Ndiaye has given at least a couple of interviews talking about his future. In the latest one, with SPORTbible, published on Tuesday, he outlined his aspirations to play Champions League football and when assessing Everton’s season, remarked: “You can speak individually, but when the whole team is not working, you can’t really say this player is fatigued or not doing well.”
Should the Blues now sell the player? Members of the ECHO sportsdesk have their say.
Christopher Beesley: Should Everton sell Iliman Ndiaye?
My short answer is no. If they do, then it needs to be on their terms. Manager David Moyes has already had his say on this when asked in April. He reply was emphatic: “He is the last person I would consider selling. There are others as well [that I wouldn’t want to sell], but my point is I have no interest in hearing the talk if there is talk out there. I don’t think there is any club that is not a selling club at the right value for their player. I am not saying that means he is for sale, I am not, I just think it is a genuine thing where there is a price where people would say: ‘well, we have to do something.’ But it is getting too hard to build teams and also supporters are looking for a quick return which managers are not getting. So why would we be giving up their better players?”
Ndiaye is a delight to watch and gets supporters up out of their seats. He possesses attributes we’ve not seen from another Everton player in a long time. But let’s have it right. His career was going nowhere fast before the Blues took a chance on him in the summer of 2024 after he’d flopped at Olympique Marseille and gave him the platform to become a Premier League star.
I’ve seen him score some truly memorable goals, including his wonderful solo strikes against Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland plus the historic final pair at Goodison Park and inaugural effort at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Evertonians love him for that, as their song goes: “He’s the one that we adore.” That’s got to mean something to him when he’s talking about Champions League football and critiquing his team. For all Ndiaye’s previous brilliance in a royal blue jersey, he was guilty of squandering more gilt-edged opportunities than anybody to secure European football for Everton in the final month of the season in the games against Manchester City and Crystal Palace.
Sure, Blues chiefs could make a huge profit on him this summer, more than quadrupling their outlay from just two years ago, but as Moyes said, why would they want to get rid of their best players? For me, Ndiaye owes Everton at least one more season and he needs to get back to letting his football do the talking.
Connor O'Neill: Should Everton sell Iliman Ndiaye?
First things first, I think it is worth pointing out that Iliman Ndiaye hasn’t said he wants to leave Everton this summer. However, the recent comments that he made have certainly thrown his future at the club into doubt. In short, Everton should not actively look to sell Ndiaye this summer. In fact they can’t afford to sell him this summer.
Everton’s squad, as things stand, lacks creativity. It also lacks players capable of producing eye-catching performances. Ndiaye can do both of those things, as we have seen before. But he can also produce something out of nothing and is one of the few players in the Premier League who can get supporters on the edge of their seat.
However, the problem the Blues have this summer is if a club makes an offer and Ndiaye decides he wants to leave. And that is possible, especially given Manchester United are interested in signing the former Sheffield United man. What Everton need to do then is ensure they get the highest fee possible and work on bringing in a replacement in the background.
If Newcastle United can get just over £69m for Anthony Gordon, then there is no reason why the Blues can’t demand a similar fee. Now I really don’t want to see Ndiaye leave this summer; I would much rather Everton start to assemble a squad that can meet his aspirations. But if he is to leave, then the Blues must ensure they get a deal that works for them.
