Al-Hilal Nears Deal for Iliman Ndiaye as Everton Faces Exit Pressure

Al-Hilal are closing in on a deal for Iliman Ndiaye after reaching an agreement on personal terms with the Everton playmaker, with only the fee now standing between the Saudi club and one of the Premier League’s most watchable talents.

The Saudi Pro League side have tracked Ndiaye all summer and have now moved the pursuit into top gear, opening formal talks with Everton as they look to push the transfer over the line, according to Football Insider’s Transfer Insider podcast.

Everton braced as star man pushes for exit

At 26, Ndiaye has grown into a central figure at Goodison Park since arriving from Marseille in a £15million deal. Across two seasons on Merseyside, he has developed into one of the division’s most eye-catching forwards, a player who can change the rhythm of a game with a drop of the shoulder or a burst through the lines.

The numbers back it up. Since 2024, he has registered 17 goals and three assists in 71 appearances for Everton, a return that only hints at his broader influence on the team’s attacking play.

But the relationship now looks to be heading for a split.

Ndiaye has made it clear he wants to leave and has turned down multiple new contract offers since the start of the year. That stance has forced Everton to confront a reality they had hoped to avoid: their star man is ready to move on, and this may be the moment to cash in.

The club’s response has been firm. If he goes, it will be on their terms.

Everton are holding out for a hefty fee, reflecting both his importance to David Moyes’ plans and the financial muscle of Al-Hilal. Personal terms are done, the player is keen, and Al-Hilal are optimistic. The transfer fee is the only major obstacle left.

Al-Hilal step on the gas

Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, it was revealed that Al-Hilal have already opened talks with Everton and are “trying to progress this deal as soon as possible”. With the player’s side agreed, the Saudi club believe they are well placed to get it finished.

For Al-Hilal, Ndiaye fits the profile: a peak-age international with Premier League pedigree and the flair to light up a league increasingly populated by big names. For Ndiaye, it is a lucrative move and a new stage on which to perform.

For Everton, it is a looming headache.

Moyes faces a creative void

If Ndiaye does depart, Moyes will be left with a sizeable gap in his attack. The Senegal international has been more than just a goals and assists merchant; he has been Everton’s spark, the player who can drag them up the pitch and unsettle defences.

The club are already working on a contingency plan.

Former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness has told Football Insider that the Toffees are eyeing Bologna’s Jonathan Rowe as a potential replacement. Rowe, an England youth international, is emerging from a strong season in Serie A, where he produced eight goals and four assists in 43 games.

He is younger, still developing, and would represent a different kind of project to the ready-made influence of Ndiaye. But Everton know they cannot afford to be passive. If their playmaker goes, they must be ready to act.

For now, everything hinges on one number: the fee.

Al-Hilal have the player. Everton have the leverage. The next few days will reveal who bends first – and how sharply Everton’s attacking future is forced to change.