On the final day of the recent summer transfer window, top-flight English football delivered one of its most surprising deadline day twists: Iliman Ndiaye, the 26-year-old winger, ended up at Premier League champions Manchester City for a £60 million fee from Everton, turning down a near-certain move to Tottenham Hotspur that had already been all but agreed.
A deal between Everton and Tottenham had already been finalized, but the north London club was forced to pull out of the transfer after they failed to offload Brazilian forward Richarlison to clear the wage budget and roster space needed to complete Ndiaye’s signing. What looked like a stalled transfer quickly became a career-defining opportunity for the winger, when Manchester City stepped in to secure his signature.
In his first public comments since completing the move, Ndiaye made clear that when one of the world’s biggest football clubs comes calling, there is no decision to be made. “You don’t say no when Manchester City comes calling,” he told reporters, adding that competing in the UEFA Champions League — the sport’s premier club competition — at one of the global game’s elite institutions has always been his target. “It was always going to be City. When the move came through, I was buzzing. This is where I think I belong. I have worked hard to get to this point.”
Ndiaye was thrown straight into the deep end by City manager Pep Guardiola, named in the starting eleven for his debut just days after the transfer completed in the club’s 1-0 Premier League win over Coventry. The winger made an immediate impact on his first outing, attempting eight dribbles over the course of the match — more than any other player on the pitch, offering an early sign of the dynamic attacking energy he will bring to Guardiola’s side.
The winger’s path to the Premier League title contenders has been far from straightforward. He began his professional career in non-league football, turning out for Boreham Wood before a spell at Hyde United just seven miles from City’s Etihad Stadium seven years ago. He earned his move to the second-tier Championship with Sheffield United, spent a single season at French Ligue 1 side Marseille, then joined Everton for £15 million in 2024.
Over his two seasons at Goodison Park, Ndiaye became a fan favourite even as the club struggled to a bottom-half Premier League finish in both campaigns, scoring 17 goals and winning over supporters with his creative, pacey play on the flanks. The 26-year-old admitted that leaving Everton was not an easy choice, saying he formed deep bonds with the fanbase and his teammates during his time at the club. “It was difficult to leave Everton. I created a great connection with the fans and the players there, but we have to move on sometimes and it’s how football is,” he explained.
Ndiaye added that he never felt stressed or panicked when his transfer looked set to fall through in the final days of the window. “There was no stress or panicking. I always say whatever comes, comes. God decides your future – it is already written. I was just being patient,” he said. Looking ahead to his new chapter at the Etihad, Ndiaye said he has no interest in dwelling on his past career steps, and is focused on proving himself at the highest level of the sport. “I don’t really look back. I just look to the future and work hard. I never stop. I just look at the next step and this is a big step to join Manchester City. It is one of the biggest clubs in the world. There are world-class players, a world-class stadium and the fans are brilliant. It’s just the beginning for me here.”