Manchester City Eye Iliman Ndiaye as Everton Hold Firm on £80m Valuation

Manchester City are exploring a possible move for Iliman Ndiaye before Tuesday’s 11pm transfer deadline, with Ben Jacobs reporting that the Everton attacker is among the names under consideration at the Etihad Stadium.

It has already been a significant summer for City. Following major departures including Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders, Savinho, Nico Gonzalez and James Trafford, the club have moved aggressively in the market to reshape key areas of Enzo Maresca’s squad. Spending has approached £200m, with Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi brought in to refresh the midfield, while several other additions have underlined the scale of the rebuild.

Yet there remains a sense that business may not be complete. City are understood to be assessing further attacking reinforcements, and Ndiaye’s profile makes him an intriguing option. Everton are said to value the Senegal international at £80m, a figure that reflects both his importance to David Moyes’ side and the premium attached to proven Premier League quality late in the window.

🚨 BREAKING: Manchester City are showing an interest in Everton attacker Iliman Ndiaye. Everton value Ndiaye at around £80m.

Ndiaye also a name considered by #AFC, whose dream target remains Julian Alvarez. 🤝 @alex_crook pic.twitter.com/36wmnbtXAQ — Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) August 26, 2026

Iliman Ndiaye Transfer Fits City Need

Ndiaye offers the kind of tactical flexibility elite clubs covet. He can play from either flank, operate through the middle and, if required, lead the line. For Maresca, that sort of adaptability would be particularly useful across a season in which City will again expect to challenge on multiple fronts.

His start to the 2026/27 campaign has only reinforced that appeal. Ndiaye has featured from the outset in Everton’s opening two matches and supplied the assist for Thierno Barry’s goal in the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. Those contributions matter, although perhaps more relevant is the broader impression he leaves, a player capable of creating separation in tight spaces and changing the tempo of an attack with one touch or turn.

Everton Stance Could Shape Man City Plans

There is no indication this would be a straightforward negotiation. Everton are under little pressure to sell so late in the window, particularly with Ndiaye central to their attacking structure and already influential in the opening weeks of the season. If City are to test that resolve, the cost is likely to be substantial.

Arsenal have also looked at Ndiaye, although their priorities are believed to lie elsewhere. That context matters because it frames City’s interest as part of a wider recognition of the player’s growing standing, rather than a speculative glance prompted by deadline-day market conditions.

City’s current options already include Antoine Semenyo, Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden in advanced roles behind Erling Haaland. Adding Ndiaye to that mix would deepen variety as much as numbers. He is a different sort of attacker, less reliant on open grass, more comfortable receiving under pressure and more naturally suited to the improvised moments that often decide tight games.

Attacking Depth Could Define Deadline Day

If City proceed, this feels like a move driven by profile rather than opportunity alone. Ndiaye is entering the kind of phase where top clubs start to see both immediate impact and longer-term upside. Whether Everton’s valuation proves prohibitive remains to be seen, but the interest itself is credible and worth monitoring closely in the final hours of the window.

Our View

From a hopeful Manchester City perspective, this is the sort of report that makes plenty of sense. Ndiaye has that unpredictable edge supporters love, the ability to take a defender out of the game with a feint, a quick shift of feet or a change of direction. In a side that can sometimes face deep blocks every week, that quality has enormous value.

There is also the squad-building angle. City have refreshed midfield areas and already look different, but adding one more attacker with genuine versatility could complete the picture. Ndiaye would not need the team built around him, which is important. He could start wide, rotate centrally, cover different roles and still offer something distinct from Doku, Cherki or Foden.

The obvious concern is the £80m valuation. That is serious money, even in the current market, and Everton have every reason to stand firm. But if City believe he can become a major player under Maresca, then there is logic in backing that view now rather than revisiting the market later at an even higher price.

Supporters will also like that this appears to be a move for a player already accustomed to the Premier League. There is less adaptation risk, and his early-season form suggests he is ready for another step. If City can make it happen, it would feel like a clever, forward-looking addition before the deadline closes.