Report: Everton set £70m price tag on star amid Manchester United interest

Iliman Ndiaye transfer latest as Everton name £70m price amid Manchester United interest

Everton have every right to play hardball over Iliman Ndiaye. According to Mirror, the club will demand around £70m for the Senegal forward as Manchester United and Al-Hilal weigh up moves. That figure is steep, but this is the market now, and Everton are under no obvious pressure to blink first.

Ndiaye, 26, has emerged as one of the more intriguing names of the summer. He has produced “a couple of eye-catching seasons on Merseyside”, and while his output of 17 goals and three assists in 71 appearances does not scream elite wide forward, context matters. Everton have not exactly been a free-flowing attacking machine, so numbers alone do not tell the whole story.

Manchester United and Al-Hilal watch Ndiaye

United are in the mix because they need solutions on the left side. The report states that “left wing” is among their priorities, and that Michael Carrick’s side have “shortlisted Ndiaye and are tracking his situation”. He has apparently moved up their list after Morgan Rogers joined Chelsea for £117m and Yan Diomande signalled a preference for Real Madrid.

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Al-Hilal are also there, and this part matters. The report says Ndiaye “is open to leaving Everton and his camp would encourage a bid from the Saudi Arabian side.” That changes the dynamic. If a player is receptive and a Saudi club has interest, the financial ceiling can move quickly. Everton know this, which is one reason the £70m valuation has appeared now.

Everton stance driven by contract and market

Ndiaye still has three years left on his contract, and “the Toffees are in no rush to sell him.” That is the strongest position a selling club can have. Everton signed him for £15m from Marseille two years ago, and there have been suggestions they wanted to offer improved terms to ward off suitors. Those efforts have reportedly gone nowhere, with Ndiaye said to have rejected the proposals.

The benchmark being used is revealing. Everton are “expected to ask for a fee similar to the £70million that Barcelona paid Newcastle United this summer for Anthony Gordon.” Whether Ndiaye sits in that bracket is debatable, but clubs rarely price assets in isolation. They price against recent precedent, scarcity and leverage.

Ndiaye ambition points to likely exit

The biggest clue may be the player’s own words. Before the World Cup, he said: “You don’t know where football will take you next.” He then added, “As I’ve always said, I want to be the best player and to do that, you have to play at the top. I want to be playing at the top level. I want to be playing Champions League football.”

That is not a come-and-get-me plea, but it is close enough to tell you where his head is. Everton can ask for £70m. The question is whether United, Al-Hilal, or anyone else, decide he is worth paying it.

Our View

From an Everton supporter’s perspective, this is exhausting because it always feels like the same cycle. Find a player, improve him, watch bigger or richer clubs hover, then brace for the spin about ambition and market value. If Ndiaye wants Champions League football, fair enough. He said it plainly, “I want to be playing Champions League football.” Nobody can pretend they did not hear him.

But if Everton are serious about moving forward, selling every time a player has two decent seasons cannot be the default setting. £70m sounds huge, and if someone genuinely pays it then the club has to consider the deal. That is basic reality. The problem is trust. Everton supporters have heard about smart reinvestment before. Too often, it turns into another rebuild, another scramble, another season spent hoping the sums add up.

Ndiaye has been one of the few attackers who can make something happen in a dull game. He carries the ball, commits defenders and brings a bit of edge. Those players are hard to replace, especially for a club that still lacks consistent creativity. So yes, take the money if it is absurd. But if Everton sell, they must get the next decision right. No excuses, no drift, no waste. Supporters are tired of seeing the club act like a stepping stone while pretending it is part of a grand plan.

Source: Mirror