Manchester City Seals £65m Deal for Ndiaye on Deadline Day
Manchester City tore up the final day of the transfer window, muscling in at the last moment to snatch Iliman Ndiaye from under Tottenham’s nose.
The Premier League champions agreed a £65m deal with Everton for the Senegal international, built around an initial £60m fee and a further £5m in potential add-ons, according to The Athletic. It was ruthless, decisive business – exactly the kind of move that has come to define City’s modern era.
Tottenham had turned to Ndiaye after failing to prise Cody Gakpo from Liverpool. Gakpo himself had been on City’s radar, but once that path closed for Spurs, they believed they had found their man at Goodison Park. For a brief spell, north London confidence grew.
It didn’t last long.
City accelerated talks, closed the gap, and sealed the agreement with Everton before Spurs could finalise anything. One moment, Ndiaye looked like the answer to Ange Postecoglou’s attacking needs. The next, he was holding up a sky-blue shirt.
For the 26-year-old, the choice barely felt like a choice at all.
“It’s easy to make the decision about whether you want to be at Manchester City or not,” Ndiaye said after completing the move. “You can see the recent history; you want to be part of that project.”
Those conversations with City’s hierarchy proved decisive. They mapped out his role, his importance, his ceiling.
“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 like a player who has been chasing this level for years and finally kicked the door down.
“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.”
City’s Late-Window Power Play
Ndiaye’s arrival was only half the story of City’s deadline-day statement.
The club also confirmed the £125m signing of Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, a deal that equals the British transfer record. It reunites the Argentine with manager Enzo Maresca, a partnership City clearly believe can anchor the next phase of their evolution.
Two major deals. One window-closing message: the champions are not standing still.
Spurs scramble after double miss
While City celebrated, Tottenham were left to pick up the pieces of a frantic, frustrating chase.
They had pushed for Gakpo and came up short. They pivoted to Ndiaye and were beaten to the punch again, this time by a direct rival with deeper pockets and a clearer recent track record of trophies.
Forced back into the market with the clock ticking, Spurs turned to Chelsea and Stamford Bridge. The response was swift. They agreed a loan for Mykhailo Mudryk, reuniting the winger with Roberto De Zerbi, under whom he flourished at Shakhtar Donetsk.
It was a smart salvage operation, but the contrast was stark. City walked away from deadline day with two marquee signings and a reinforced title platform. Tottenham walked away with a loan, a sense of what might have been, and a fresh question: can they keep pace with a club that still bends the market to its will?
