Manchester City have completed the signing of Iliman Ndiaye from Everton in a deal worth up to £65 million, bringing one of the Premier League’s most unpredictable and entertaining attacking players to the Etihad Stadium.
The Senegal international has signed a five-year contract with City, committing his future to the club until the summer of 2031. The agreement consists of £60m guaranteed for Everton, with a further £5m available through performance-related bonuses.
The move represents another significant piece of Manchester City’s summer rebuild under Enzo Maresca and also brings an abrupt end to Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of the 26-year-old.
Spurs had been in advanced discussions with Everton and appeared close to securing Ndiaye before City entered the race following their unsuccessful attempt to sign Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo. The dramatic late intervention changed the direction of the transfer and forced Tottenham to reconsider their attacking plans.
Their alternative was Mykhailo Mudryk.
Tottenham ultimately completed a season-long loan for the Chelsea winger on September 1, with the agreement including a £75m purchase option. Mudryk also reunited with Roberto De Zerbi, the manager who worked with him during his breakthrough years at Shakhtar Donetsk.
The two transfers therefore tell very different stories.
For City, Ndiaye is the latest addition to an ambitious reconstruction of the squad.
For Tottenham, Mudryk represents a calculated gamble on a player whose career has stalled since his huge move to Chelsea.
Manchester City make their move
Manchester City’s pursuit of Iliman Ndiaye developed rapidly during the final stages of the summer transfer window.
The club had originally targeted Cody Gakpo as the preferred solution to their need for another wide attacking player. City reportedly made an £80m bid for the Liverpool forward, but Liverpool rejected the proposal.
With time running out, City turned their attention elsewhere.
Ndiaye had already attracted interest from Tottenham, meaning City knew they were entering an active negotiation rather than approaching an undisputed target.
The situation changed quickly.
City agreed a package worth £65m with Everton, including £60m guaranteed and £5m in potential bonuses. Ndiaye then completed the necessary formalities and signed his five-year agreement.
It was a decisive move.
Ndiaye was no longer heading to North London.
He was heading to Manchester.
The Senegalese forward subsequently made his feelings about the transfer clear, explaining that joining City had been his preferred destination once the opportunity became real.
“I’ve worked my whole life for an opportunity like this,” Ndiaye said after completing the move, describing City as one of the best clubs in the world.
That enthusiasm will be welcomed by a club undergoing considerable change.
Why City wanted Ndiaye
The decision to sign Ndiaye was not simply about adding another winger. Manchester City’s attacking options had undergone substantial changes during the summer.
Savinho and Omar Marmoush had moved to Tottenham, while the club had also seen other important changes across the squad following the end of the Pep Guardiola era.
City therefore needed greater depth and flexibility in the final third.
Ndiaye provides both.
He can play from the wing, operate centrally or move between positions during a match. City describe him as a two-footed attacker capable of providing creativity and goals, while his dribbling has made him one of the more entertaining players in English football.
That versatility could become one of his greatest assets.
Modern attacking systems increasingly demand players who can move between zones rather than remain fixed to one position.
Ndiaye has already demonstrated that ability during his career.
He can begin on the left, drift into central areas, combine with a striker or attack defenders directly from wide positions.
For Maresca, that flexibility gives City another tactical option.
A remarkable journey from the lower leagues
Ndiaye’s arrival at Manchester City is particularly striking because his career did not begin with the conventional pathway associated with a £65m Premier League transfer.
His rise was gradual.
At 19, he was playing in the seventh tier of English football while developing through Sheffield United’s system.
His loan spell with Hyde United became an important part of his development.
The circumstances were far removed from the glamour of the Etihad.
Ndiaye trained in difficult conditions and reportedly earned only around £100 per week during that stage of his career. Former Hyde manager David McGurk recalled the youngster’s extraordinary commitment, including his willingness to train even when conditions were far from ideal.
The statistics were not necessarily spectacular.
But the talent was visible.
Ndiaye possessed the ability to beat defenders, change direction quickly and create opportunities in tight spaces.
Most importantly, he had an attitude that convinced coaches he could continue improving.
The player who once trained in the lower reaches of English football eventually became one of the country’s most expensive attacking signings.
Sheffield United provided the breakthrough
Ndiaye’s career accelerated when he established himself at Sheffield United.
During the 2022/23 Championship campaign, he became one of the standout players in the division and helped the club secure promotion to the Premier League.
He was named Sheffield United’s Player of the Year during that promotion season, underlining how quickly his reputation had grown.
The step into the Premier League did not overwhelm him.
Instead, Ndiaye continued to demonstrate his technical qualities against stronger opposition.
His performances attracted attention from clubs across Europe.
Eventually, Marseille secured his services.
The move to France represented another stage of his development, giving him experience in Ligue 1 and European competition before he returned to England with Everton.
Everton turned potential into Premier League consistency
Ndiaye joined Everton in 2024 and spent two seasons at Goodison Park.
Those years proved crucial.
At Everton, he became a reliable attacking presence and developed a reputation for being capable of producing moments of individual quality even when his team was under pressure.
He scored 17 goals and provided three assists in 74 appearances for the club, according to reporting surrounding his Manchester City move.
Those numbers only tell part of the story.
Everton supporters also appreciated his ability to carry the ball, beat defenders and inject creativity into an attack that could sometimes struggle for consistency.
His departure therefore leaves Everton with a significant hole to fill.
The timing made the situation even more difficult.
Everton sold Ndiaye at the end of the transfer window, leaving limited time to identify an equivalent replacement.
Reports suggested that the club also had concerns elsewhere in the squad, meaning Ndiaye’s departure was another major challenge for manager David Moyes.
From Everton’s perspective, however, the financial package was difficult to ignore.
A £60m guaranteed payment, potentially rising to £65m, represented a major return on their investment.
Tottenham thought they were close
Perhaps the most dramatic element of the transfer was Tottenham’s involvement.
Spurs had been in discussions with Everton and appeared to be moving toward an agreement for Ndiaye.
The proposed transfer was connected to the complicated situation surrounding Richarlison.
Tottenham had considered a deal involving their Brazilian forward returning to Everton, but Richarlison became reluctant to make the move.
That uncertainty complicated Spurs’ negotiations for Ndiaye.
Manchester City then entered the picture.
When City’s pursuit of Gakpo failed, they moved quickly for the Everton winger.
The late approach proved decisive.
Tottenham lost the player they had been pursuing and were forced to identify another solution.
It was one of the defining twists of deadline day.
City had effectively hijacked a transfer that Tottenham had been working on.
And Spurs had little time to react.
Tottenham turn to Mykhailo Mudryk
Tottenham’s response was to pursue Mykhailo Mudryk.
The Ukrainian winger was available from Chelsea and offered a different profile from Ndiaye.
Mudryk is known primarily for his explosive acceleration and direct running.
His career, however, had reached a difficult point at Chelsea.
The club had paid a substantial fee to sign him from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023, with the overall package eventually reaching around €100m.
The move created huge expectations.
But Mudryk struggled to establish himself consistently in the Premier League.
A suspension related to a doping case further complicated his progress, although his ban was resolved and he returned to Chelsea’s squad during pre-season.
Tottenham nevertheless saw an opportunity.
Their manager, Roberto De Zerbi, already knew Mudryk from his time at Shakhtar.
That familiarity was an important factor.
De Zerbi had overseen Mudryk’s breakthrough campaign in Ukraine and understood how best to use his speed, movement and attacking instincts.
For Tottenham, the loan therefore represents an attempt to recreate the environment in which Mudryk previously looked like one of European football’s most exciting young wingers.
A second chance for Mudryk
The Tottenham move could be enormously important for Mudryk.
At Chelsea, his career became defined by inconsistency and pressure surrounding his transfer fee.
At Spurs, he has the opportunity to reset.
The loan agreement includes a £75m purchase option, giving Tottenham the possibility of turning the temporary move into a permanent one if Mudryk proves himself.
The Ukrainian immediately expressed excitement about the reunion with De Zerbi.
He described himself as a player who brings speed and creativity and emphasized his desire to contribute in both attacking and defensive areas.
That could fit Tottenham’s requirements.
Spurs have assembled an attacking group with considerable pace.
Savio and Omar Marmoush arrived from Manchester City, while Mudryk provides another explosive option capable of stretching defensive lines.
The challenge will be turning that individual speed into consistent end product.
Two clubs, two different approaches
The contrasting moves involving Ndiaye and Mudryk highlight the different strategies adopted by City and Tottenham.
Manchester City chose a player who had already proven himself in the Premier League.
Ndiaye had played in the competition with Sheffield United and Everton and had also gained experience abroad with Marseille.
At 26, he is entering the prime years of his career.
Mudryk, meanwhile, is 25 and remains a player with significant potential but a less convincing record in England.
Tottenham are betting that the right manager and environment can unlock the talent that made Chelsea spend heavily on him.
Neither approach is without risk.
City must justify a £65m investment in a player who has never previously played for a club of their scale.
Tottenham must determine whether Mudryk can finally translate his physical and technical gifts into consistent Premier League production.
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