Manchester City Secures Iliman Ndiaye in £65m Deadline Deal

Manchester City tore up Tottenham’s deadline-day script and walked away with Iliman Ndiaye.

On a frantic final day of the window, City struck a £65m agreement with Everton for the Senegal international, a deal built around a £60m fee and £5m in add-ons, according to The Athletic. By the time Spurs realised the move was gone, it was already over.

They had turned to Ndiaye after failing to prise Cody Gakpo from Liverpool, hoping the Everton forward would become the centrepiece of their late push. City had tracked both players too, but when the chance to move for Ndiaye opened up, they did not hesitate. They accelerated talks, closed the gap, and shut the door on Tottenham’s bid.

“It’s easy to make the decision about whether you want to be at Manchester City or not,” the 26-year-old said after sealing the move. “You can see the recent history; you want to be part of that project.”

The conversation with City’s hierarchy sealed it. No drawn-out saga, no second thoughts.

“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 has 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 statement

Ndiaye’s arrival was only half of City’s late flourish.

The club also completed the £125m signing of Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez before the deadline, matching the British transfer record. The move reunites the Argentine with manager Enzo Maresca and underlines City’s intent to refresh and strengthen a squad that already sits at the top of the European game.

Two major signings. Almost £200m committed. On a day when other clubs scrambled, City looked decisive and ruthless.

Tottenham scramble after double blow

For Tottenham, the final hours told a very different story.

They missed out on Gakpo. They then saw Ndiaye, their fallback target, swept away by City’s late push. With the clock ticking and attacking depth still an issue, they had to improvise.

The response took them back to Stamford Bridge. Spurs moved quickly to secure a loan deal for Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk before the window closed, reuniting the former Shakhtar Donetsk star with Roberto De Zerbi.

It was a sharp recovery after a bruising day in the market. But as City unveil Ndiaye and Fernandez as the faces of their next evolution, the question lingers: will Tottenham’s late pivot be enough to keep pace with a club that rarely leaves anything to chance?