Iliman Ndiaye: Everton's Stance Against Manchester United's Pursuit

Manchester United have found their next attacking obsession. Everton have found their next transfer battle.

Iliman Ndiaye, the livewire forward who lit up Goodison Park last season, has emerged as a serious target for United as Michael Carrick begins reshaping his squad for a campaign that now includes Champions League football. Everton’s response has been blunt: if you want him, prepare to pay a fortune.

United’s rebuild meets Everton’s resistance

Carrick, now confirmed as permanent manager after steering United into Europe’s elite, has been handed a broad brief this summer. Midfield remains the main construction site, with Ederson expected to arrive from Atalanta, but the Old Trafford hierarchy know the forward line needs fresh energy and flexibility.

That is where Ndiaye comes in.

United’s recruitment team have identified the 26-year-old as a potential solution on the left side of their attack, though his appeal runs far deeper than one position on a tactics board. Ndiaye, signed by Everton from Marseille for just £15 million in 2024, spent most of last season on the right under David Moyes but still drifted across the frontline, featuring 11 times on the left and finishing the campaign with six goals and three assists.

That blend of productivity and versatility has not gone unnoticed. Liverpool are also tracking the former Sheffield United man as they, too, search for a new left-sided attacker. The timing is awkward for Everton: Ndiaye is locked in a contract stand-off and has so far refused to sign a new deal unless it includes an exit clause, all while he prepares for the World Cup with Senegal.

The door is slightly ajar. United and Liverpool are standing on the threshold.

Everton’s answer is to bolt it from the inside.

A £69m message

According to The Athletic, Everton plan to slap what has been described as a “prohibitive valuation” on Ndiaye. The figure is eye-catching: around £69 million (€80m / $92.7m) just to bring them to the table.

It is not a number plucked from thin air. The club have looked at Anthony Gordon’s recent £70m move from Newcastle United to Barcelona and decided that is the going rate for a Premier League wide forward in his mid‑20s with room to grow. If Gordon commands that fee, Everton argue, Ndiaye falls into the same financial bracket.

The strategy is clear. Price him at a level that makes even the wealthiest clubs pause. Deter the suitors, buy time in contract negotiations, and send a message to a dressing room that has grown used to seeing its best players linked with the exit.

Whether United blink at that valuation is another matter. They have other winger options on their list and cannot afford to be dragged into a summer-long saga that distorts the rest of their business. Yet the very fact Everton feel the need to go that high underlines how central Ndiaye has become to Moyes’ plans.

Moyes draws a line

Publicly, Moyes has been unwavering. Everton may need to sell this summer to balance the books and fund new arrivals, but he has made it plain where he draws the line.

Speaking in April, as speculation around Ndiaye first gathered pace, Moyes did not bother with nuance.

“He is the last person I would consider selling,” the Everton manager said.

He doubled down, stressing that while there are “others as well” he would be reluctant to lose, he has “no interest in hearing the talk” around Ndiaye’s future. For a manager who has spoken often about how hard it is to build and rebuild teams under financial pressure, the logic is simple: when supporters demand quick progress and managers are given little patience, surrendering your best players feels like self-sabotage.

Ndiaye still has three years left on his current deal, yet Everton are pushing for a longer, more lucrative contract to lock in his prime years. His refusal so far to commit without an exit clause keeps the tension simmering. The club want security; the player wants flexibility. The big clubs sense opportunity.

A test of resolve

This is where the summer turns interesting. Everton’s £69m stance is not just a valuation, it is a statement of intent. United’s interest is not just curiosity, it is a test of that intent.

Carrick wants a forward who can press, drift, and finish, someone comfortable on either flank and sharp enough to handle the demands of a season that will stretch across domestic and European fronts. Ndiaye fits that profile, but he is not the only name on the Old Trafford shortlist. United can walk away.

Everton cannot so easily replace what Ndiaye brings if they cash in.

So the standoff begins: a club trying to prove it will not be bullied out of its best talent, a player weighing his leverage, and a Champions League side deciding how far it is willing to push. If £69m does not scare United off, the real question will not be about money at all.

It will be whether Everton are truly prepared to say no.