Manchester City Hijack Spurs to Sign Iliman Ndiaye
Manchester City did not just win the race for Iliman Ndiaye. They changed it.
On the final day of the transfer window, with Tottenham closing in and Liverpool’s plans already shaping the market, City stepped in late and hard, striking a £65m agreement with Everton for the Senegal forward. The deal, as reported by The Athletic, is built on a £60m fee with a further £5m in potential add-ons.
Spurs had turned to Ndiaye after failing to prise Cody Gakpo away from Liverpool, the Dutchman having also attracted interest from City. For a brief spell, it looked like Ange Postecoglou’s side had found their solution in attack. Then City accelerated. Within hours, the Etihad hierarchy had moved decisively, shutting the door on Tottenham and securing another elite attacking option for Enzo Maresca.
For Ndiaye, the choice barely felt like a contest.
“It’s easy to make the decision about whether you want to be at Manchester City or not,” the 26-year-old said after sealing the move. “You can see the recent history; you want to be part of that project.”
Those conversations with City’s decision-makers proved decisive.
“They talked to me about where we could go, what we could achieve with me in the team, and I was interested from the beginning,” he explained. “There was nothing else that I wanted other than joining Manchester City.”
The forward spoke with the urgency of someone who knows this is the stage he has been chasing.
“Obviously, you want to be part of this new project. I’ve seen recently what they’ve been doing, and I feel like I will fit right in it,” he said. “I’m super excited to start. It’s an unbelievable moment. I’ve worked so hard to get to this point and I’m super excited and really grateful for this opportunity.”
A statement window at the Etihad
Ndiaye’s arrival was not an isolated splash. It capped a remarkable final flourish from City, who also wrapped up the £125m signing of Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea.
That fee matches the British transfer record and reunites the Argentina international with Maresca, a coach who knows exactly what he wants from his midfield conductor. One window, two huge deals, and a clear message to the rest of the league: City are not easing off. They are reloading.
Spurs scramble after double miss
For Tottenham, the closing hours of the window told a very different story. First Gakpo stayed at Liverpool. Then Ndiaye slipped away to Manchester.
With time draining away, Spurs had to react. Fast. Their search for attacking reinforcement swung back towards Stamford Bridge, where they pushed through a late loan move for Mykhailo Mudryk. The deal reunites the former Shakhtar Donetsk winger with Roberto De Zerbi, the coach who first unlocked his potential in Ukraine and now has the task of reviving a stuttering Premier League spell.
City leave deadline day with a new forward, a record-equaling midfielder and a squad that looks even more ruthless. Tottenham leave it reshaped, reactive, and about to discover whether their late gamble on Mudryk can close the gap that just widened.
