Ndiaye headed for Manchester City as Spurs deal hijacked | OneFootball

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Just when it looked like Tottenham Hotspur were positioning themselves to capture Iliman Ndiaye in a swap-and-cash tangle involving Richarlison, Manchester City have swept in to hijack the transfer entirely.

According to The Athletic and David Ornstein, City have struck an agreement in principle with Everton for a deal worth up to £65M (£60M up front plus £5M in performance-related add-ons).

The late-stage swoop completely alters the landscape of deadline day for Everton, explaining the sudden stalemate in Spurs' negotiations and shedding new light on why Richarlison’s return to Everton hit a speedbump.

City turned their attention directly to Ndiaye after seeing an ambitious £80M bid for Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo flatly rejected. Having lost attacking firepower with Savio and Omar Marmoush departing, Enzo Maresca’s recruitment team earmarked the Senegalese international for his tactical flexibility and pressing intensity across the frontline.

For Ndiaye, the draw of Champions League football proved decisive. Having turned down multiple contract extension offers from Everton over recent months — insisting on a release clause — Ndiaye made it clear that, while he loved his time on Merseyside, he was determined to play at the highest European level.

Ndiaye is expected to undergo his medical with Manchester City on Tuesday ahead of the transfer window deadline.

Tottenham's advanced negotiations stalled once City entered the fray, forcing Spurs to pivot towards alternative targets like Mykhailo Mudryk on loan from Chelsea.

With Ndiaye heading to the Etihad, Everton are actively working to negotiate a separate deal or inclusion that would bring Jack Grealish back to Merseyside after his previous loan stint.

For Everton, losing Ndiaye — who has been in lively but typically ineffective form following his summer World Cup campaign — could be a massive blow to David Moyes’s attacking engine room. However, receiving a guaranteed £60M gives the Everton hierarchy crucial funds to reinvest late in the window.

In addition to negotiating for Grealish, the Blues are actively pursuing AS Monaco forward Folarin Balogun as Beto edges closer to a move to Fiorentina. It promises to be a frantic final stretch before the transfer window slams shut.