Manchester City have made another major attacking move by signing Iliman Ndiaye from Everton for £65 million.
- Iliman Ndiaye Gives City Something Different
- But the Numbers Raise Questions
- The Grealish Question Makes This Move Even More Interesting
- His Journey Makes the Transfer Even More Remarkable
- From Sheffield United to Everton
- Why Manchester City Believe Ndiaye Can Improve
- The Biggest Challenge for Iliman Ndiaye
- Ndiaye Himself Believes City Are the Perfect Fit
- Hugo Viana Sees More Than Just Talent
- So, Is Iliman Ndiaye the Forward Man City Need?
The deal includes £60 million in guaranteed payments and a further £5 million in bonuses. Ndiaye has also signed a five year contract with the former Premier League champions.
On paper, the move makes sense.
Manchester City want more speed, dribbling and unpredictability in the final third. Iliman Ndiaye offers all three. However, his arrival also raises a bigger question.
Is Iliman Ndiaye actually the forward Man City need?
Iliman Ndiaye Gives City Something Different
Iliman Ndiaye is not a conventional winger who simply stays wide and attacks the full back.
He likes to receive between lines, carry the ball through pressure and drift into central areas. His ability to beat defenders also gives City another way to break down teams that sit deep.
That quality matters.
Last season, Ndiaye completed 73 of Everton’s 250 successful Premier League dribbles. That gave him the highest share of their total and showed just how important his ball carrying became.
For Manchester City, that skill could prove valuable.
Pep Guardiola’s side often face opponents who defend with two compact lines. In those games, beating the first defender can open the entire structure.
Ndiaye can do exactly that.
He can receive under pressure, turn away from his marker and drive into space. More importantly, he can create chaos when a match becomes predictable.
But the Numbers Raise Questions
The £65 million price tag will naturally bring scrutiny.
Ndiaye is undoubtedly talented, but his production at Everton did not place him among the Premier League’s elite attackers last season.
He ranked only joint third at Everton for goal contributions with nine. Beto finished with 10, while Kiernan Dewsbury Hall produced 12.
His chance creation also leaves room for improvement.
Ndiaye created 36 chances in the Premier League last season. That figure placed him fourth among Everton players.
James Garner created 26 more chances than Ndiaye. Even Jack Grealish, whose season ended in January because of injury, created eight more.
That does not mean Ndiaye lacks creativity.
Instead, it suggests Manchester City are buying potential as much as proven production.
The Grealish Question Makes This Move Even More Interesting
Iliman Ndiaye’s arrival comes as Jack Grealish heads in the opposite direction.
Grealish has returned to Everton on a season long loan, covering the final year of his Manchester City contract. The two deals remain separate, but the timing makes the comparison impossible to ignore.
Both players can carry the ball.
Both can operate from the left.
Both can move inside and combine with teammates.
However, they offer very different attacking profiles.
Grealish often slows the game down before drawing defenders toward him. Ndiaye tends to attack the space much faster.
That difference could explain why City wanted the Senegal international.
Manchester City may not simply want another creator. They may want someone who can turn possession into penetration.
Ndiaye gives them that possibility.
His Journey Makes the Transfer Even More Remarkable
The road to Manchester City has hardly been straightforward for Iliman Ndiaye.
At 19, he lived in London, played Sunday league football and trained with Boreham Wood. Then came an unexpected opportunity.
Sheffield United invited him for a one week trial.
Two trial matches convinced the club to sign him. Yet Ndiaye still had to wait before making his first appearance for the Blades.
Instead, he spent the second half of the 2019/20 season with Hyde United in the Northern Premier Division.
That level sits six divisions below the Premier League.
Ndiaye made six appearances during his first taste of senior football. Even then, his determination stood out.
He often stayed on the training pitch so long that he risked missing the last train back to Sheffield.
That mentality eventually carried him to the Premier League.
From Sheffield United to Everton
Ndiaye made his Premier League debut for Sheffield United against Leicester City in March 2021.
However, his real breakthrough came after the Blades dropped into the Championship.
He spent two seasons there before becoming one of the key figures in Sheffield United’s promotion campaign. Ndiaye scored 14 goals in 43 starts as they returned to the Premier League in 2023.
Marseille then signed him that summer.
His season in France proved difficult, and Everton eventually brought him back to England in July 2024 for an initial £16 million.
That move transformed his career again.
Ndiaye quickly became a fan favourite at Goodison Park. Across 67 Premier League appearances, he scored 15 goals and added four assists.
Now, just over a year later, Manchester City have paid four times the initial fee Everton invested in him.
Why Manchester City Believe Ndiaye Can Improve
The biggest reason for optimism lies in the environment awaiting him.
Everton rarely enjoyed the same level of attacking possession that Manchester City generate. Ndiaye therefore had fewer opportunities to attack opponents who were already stretched.
At City, that should change.
He will play alongside elite creators and receive the ball in more dangerous positions. He will also have runners around him, which should create more space for his dribbling.
That could unlock another level.
His nine Premier League goal contributions last season do not necessarily represent his ceiling. With better players around him and more sustained possession, his numbers should have room to grow.
Still, City cannot simply assume that improvement will happen automatically.
Ndiaye must become more consistent in the final third.
The Biggest Challenge for Iliman Ndiaye
Talent will not be the issue.
The challenge will be turning that talent into regular end product.
Manchester City need attackers who can produce goals and assists when matches become tight. Dribbling alone will not justify a £65 million investment.
Ndiaye therefore needs to improve his chance creation, finishing and decision making around the box.
He also needs to adapt quickly to Guardiola’s demands.
At Everton, Ndiaye enjoyed considerable freedom. At Manchester City, every movement carries a tactical purpose.
He will need to know when to hold the width, when to move inside and when to attack the space behind the defence.
That learning curve could determine whether this transfer becomes a bargain or another expensive gamble.
Ndiaye Himself Believes City Are the Perfect Fit
The Senegal international clearly believes he has reached the right club.
“I’ve worked my whole life for an opportunity like
this.
“City are one of the best clubs in the world and I’ve seen them win everything as I’ve grown up.
“To be able to write my own chapter in a story that special is the chance of a lifetime and I’m determined to grab it with both hands.
“It’s not always been easy in my career, but I always had the belief that I could play for a team challenging for the biggest prizes, and now I’m here. It feels so good.
“I love to play with the ball on the floor in an attacking team that wants to score as many goals as possible. That’s why I know this is the perfect fit.”
Those words reveal exactly what Ndiaye believes he can bring.
He does not see himself as another squad player.
He sees himself as an attacking player ready to compete for major trophies.
Hugo Viana Sees More Than Just Talent
Manchester City’s director of football Hugo Viana also highlighted the mentality behind the player.
“Iliman is a very talented footballer. He’s had to work incredibly hard to reach this level and in my first conversation with him it was immediately obvious how grounded he is and the determination he has to be the best player he can be.
“I’ve no doubt City fans will get a thrill seeing him in action for us.”
That determination could prove just as important as his technical ability.
City have no shortage of talented footballers. What separates those who succeed at the club is often their ability to absorb pressure, adapt quickly and improve.
Ndiaye has already shown that he can climb from non league football to the Premier League.
Now comes the biggest challenge of his career.
So, Is Iliman Ndiaye the Forward Man City Need?
The honest answer is that nobody knows yet.
Manchester City did not sign Iliman Ndiaye because he already produces at the level of their biggest stars.
They signed him because he possesses qualities the squad needs.
He can carry the ball.
He can beat defenders.
He can play centrally or from wide areas.
He can attack space.
Most importantly, he can give City an element of unpredictability.
The concern remains his end product. Nine Premier League goal contributions last season does not immediately scream £65 million.
Yet football transfers rarely operate on statistics alone.
Manchester City have bought a player entering his prime, with experience in England, a strong work ethic and significant technical ability.
If Guardiola can turn Ndiaye’s raw attacking instincts into consistent production, the Senegal international could become one of City’s most dangerous forwards.
If he cannot, the price tag will follow him everywhere.
For now, Iliman Ndiaye represents both a calculated gamble and an exciting opportunity.
Manchester City clearly believe they have found the attacking weapon they need.
The next step is for Ndiaye to prove they were right.
