Senegal legend Henri Camara has delivered his verdict on the futures of Everton pair Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye, offering blunt advice for the younger star while backing the veteran to continue.
After losing 3-1 to France last Tuesday in their opening World Cup fixture at the MetLife Stadium, Senegal remain at the New Jersey venue for their second Group I encounter against Norway, which kicks off at 1am UK time on Tuesday. Gueye, Senegal's most-capped player, started the game against Didier Deschamps' side for his 133rd international appearance before making way for Pathe Ciss in the 88th minute, while Ndiaye entered as a substitute for Pape Gueye in the 83rd minute for his 41st outing.
Ndiaye's contract situation and transfer speculation
An article in The Athletic on June 2 stated that Everton want to hand 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 has rejected multiple contract offers for the star, who is likely to have a projected transfer value of around the £70million mark.
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 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.
Ndiaye has given at least a couple of interviews talking about his future. In the latest one, with SPORTbible, published last 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.'
Camara's assessment of Ndiaye's talent
Now 49, Camara had spells in the UK himself with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Celtic, Southampton, Wigan Athletic, West Ham United, Stoke City and Sheffield United. Winning 99 caps for Senegal and netting 29 times, he was part of their side that reached the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals on their tournament debut. Although he did not feature in the shock 1-0 victory over holders France in the opening game, he went on to play in all their subsequent matches, bagging a brace against Sweden when he netted a golden goal winner 14 minutes into extra time of their last-16 clash.
In terms of how big a talent Ndiaye is, Camara, speaking courtesy of Parimatch UK Sportsbook, told the ECHO: 'He's technical, he's fast. I think he's done good things at Everton again this season. It's true he doesn't score many goals, but he's extremely strong on the ball technically. I think he's one of the best players at Everton. If he keeps going like this, he can go far and play for an even bigger club, he has incredible talent. Every time I watch him play, it makes me happy.'
Camara advises Ndiaye to leave for trophies
Given those thoughts and Ndiaye's recent comments, does Camara think Evertonians should be concerned about a possible departure? He said: 'Football is like that. If a big club needs him, he shouldn't hesitate, he should leave. If you play for a team that isn't winning trophies, it's difficult. One day he dreams of winning trophies, so if a big club comes for him, he has to leave to go and win things.'
Despite that, Camara reckons that Ndiaye – whose current deal runs until 2029 – remains settled with the Blues, where he is a big fan favourite, scoring their last goal at Goodison Park and first at Hill Dickinson Stadium. He said: 'It's complicated. I think he's happy where he is, so he can play out those three years there. We'll see.'
Gueye's contract expiration and future
While speculation continues over Ndiaye, Gueye's Everton status is up in the air. His current deal expires at the end of this month and on June 10 the club announced they were continuing to liaise with his representatives. Although he turns 37 in September, the midfielder started every Blues match he was eligible for last season until the 3-3 draw with Manchester City on May 4, after which he did not feature again due to injury.
Camara said: 'You know, as you get older you can't play every match. There will be games where you need to stay on the bench to manage your body. On top of that, the Premier League is very demanding. But he's a professional, and he looks after himself, he knows how to manage his body. I think he can still give it another two years in England.'
