Everton have insisted that Iliman Ndiaye is not for sale and have not placed a valuation on the winger, despite ongoing speculation and interest from Saudi club Al Hilal.
A report from The Athletic claimed the Blues would ask for a fee similar to the £70million Barcelona paid Newcastle United for Anthony Gordon this summer. However, with Ndiaye having three years remaining on his contract, Everton are not discussing any figures and are determined to keep one of their key players.
Contrast with Branthwaite situation
The stance is a shift from 2024, when Manchester United had two bids rejected for Jarrad Branthwaite. The Red Devils offered £35million plus add-ons and then £45million plus add-ons. Everton valued Branthwaite in the same bracket as top defenders like Harry Maguire (£80m), Wesley Fofana (£75m) and Josko Gvardiol (£77m). However, since then, The Friedkin Group have completed their takeover, purchasing Farhad Moshiri's shares and placing the club on a stronger financial footing.
Contract talks and player ambitions
The Blues want to reward Ndiaye with a new deal on improved wages after his form since a £15million move from Olympique Marseille in July 2024. Talks have been ongoing since the start of the year, but the player's camp has rejected several offers.
Ndiaye has spoken about his future, including in an interview on the eve of Senegal's opening World Cup fixture. He expressed his desire to play Champions League football and, when assessing Everton's season, said: "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."
David Moyes' stance
Everton manager David Moyes addressed the issue directly in his pre-match press conference before the 2-2 draw at Brentford on April 11. Asked whether the club could move on from selling top players, he said: "He is the last person I would consider selling." Moyes added: "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."
He acknowledged that every club has a price: "I don't think there is any club that is not a selling club at the right value for their player." However, he stressed the difficulty of building teams: "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 our better players?"
No formal contact from Al Hilal
The ECHO understands Everton's stance has not changed since Moyes' comments. There is interest from Saudi club Al Hilal, but no formal contact has been made.
Senegal were eliminated from the World Cup with a 3-2 defeat to Belgium in the round of 32 on July 1. Ndiaye is expected back shortly as Everton head to a German training camp, with fixtures against Hamburg and Stuttgart over the next two Saturdays.
