Manchester City Seizes Ndiaye from Spurs on Deadline Day
Manchester City did not just win a transfer race on deadline day. They snatched it out of Tottenham’s hands at full speed and disappeared over the horizon.
The Premier League champions agreed a £65m deal with Everton for Iliman Ndiaye, beating Spurs to the Senegal international after a late, frantic scramble. The package, according to The Athletic, is built around an initial £60m fee, with a further £5m in potential add-ons.
Tottenham had turned to Ndiaye after failing to prise Cody Gakpo away from Liverpool. Gakpo, too, had been on City’s radar, but once it became clear he would not move, the Etihad hierarchy pivoted sharply. The response was ruthless: move for Ndiaye, move quickly, and do not miss.
City didn’t.
“There was nothing else that I wanted”
For Ndiaye, 26, the choice barely felt like a choice at all.
“It’s easy to make the decision about whether you want to be at Manchester City or not,” he said after the move was confirmed. “You can see the recent history; you want to be part of that project.”
The conversations behind the scenes sealed it. City’s hierarchy laid out a clear vision, where he fits, what they believe they can win with him in the side, and how this next phase at the Etihad is supposed to look.
“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,” Ndiaye explained. “There was nothing else that I wanted other than joining Manchester City.”
No hesitation. No second thoughts. Just a straight line from Merseyside to Manchester’s blue half.
He spoke like a player who has been chasing this level for years and finally broken through.
“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.”
Ambition, aligned with a machine that rarely slows down. City have added another forward who believes he belongs on this stage.
A record-equaling statement
Ndiaye’s arrival alone would have been a strong finish to the window. City went much bigger.
The club also completed the £125m signing of Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea, a monumental deal that equals the British transfer record. It is a move heavy with symbolism: money, muscle, and a manager who knows exactly what he is getting.
The Argentine midfielder reunites with Enzo Maresca, a coach who has already shown he wants control, structure and dominance in every phase. Fernandez gives him all of that, and City have paid a price that underlines just how serious this next iteration of their team will be.
Two major signings, one from Everton and one from Chelsea, in the final throes of the window. This was not quiet, careful tinkering. This was a champion doubling down.
Spurs left scrambling
While City closed deals with the authority of a club used to getting what it wants, Tottenham were left chasing alternatives.
They had tried for Gakpo. They then pushed for Ndiaye. They lost both.
With the clock ticking and attacking reinforcements still needed, Spurs turned back towards Stamford Bridge and moved for Mykhailo Mudryk. The north London club secured a loan agreement with Chelsea before the deadline, reuniting the winger with Roberto De Zerbi, under whom he previously thrived at Shakhtar Donetsk.
It was a smart salvage job in difficult circumstances, but the contrast was hard to ignore. City walked away with Ndiaye and Fernandez, two big-money additions to an already stacked squad. Tottenham, after a bruising week in the market, settled for a short-term fix.
Deadline day often exposes where clubs really stand: who dictates, who reacts, who waits, who pounces.
On this one, City reminded everyone why their pull remains so powerful — and why, when they decide they want a player, the rest of the league still feels the tremor.
