Manchester City Hijacks Spurs to Sign Iliman Ndiaye
Manchester City didn’t just win the race for Iliman Ndiaye – they changed the route mid-sprint and left Tottenham staring at the finish line from a distance.
On the final day of the transfer window, City hijacked Spurs’ move for the Everton forward, striking a £65m agreement with the Merseyside club. The deal, according to The Athletic, is built around an initial £60m fee with a further £5m in potential add-ons.
For Tottenham, Ndiaye had been the contingency plan. After failing to prise Cody Gakpo away from Liverpool – another forward City had tracked – Spurs pivoted to the Senegal international, hoping his versatility and work rate would plug a glaring gap in their attack.
City, sensing an opportunity and needing extra firepower of their own, accelerated. Talks advanced quickly. By the time Spurs’ interest hardened, the Etihad door had already swung open.
‘There was nothing else that I wanted’
Once the move was in place, Ndiaye made it clear how one-sided his decision felt.
“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 transfer. “You can see the recent history; you want to be part of that project.”
The conversations with City’s hierarchy, he explained, removed any doubt.
“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 said. “There was nothing else that I wanted other than joining Manchester City.”
The forward spoke like a player who had been waiting for this kind of call.
“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 continued. “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.”
For City, Ndiaye’s arrival strengthens an already formidable attacking unit. For Spurs, it underlined a familiar frustration: when the biggest sharks circle, their best-laid plans can vanish in a heartbeat.
A record-equalling statement from City
Ndiaye was only half the story of City’s late-window surge.
The club also completed the £125m signing of Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, a fee that matches the British transfer record. The move reunites the Argentine with manager Enzo Maresca, who now has a midfielder he knows well and trusts at the heart of his evolving side.
One deadline day, two major signings, and a clear message: City intend to stay at the top by aggressively reshaping a squad that has already delivered so much silverware.
Spurs scramble and turn back to Chelsea
While City celebrated, Tottenham were forced into rapid improvisation.
Having missed out on Gakpo and then seen Ndiaye slip away at the last moment, the north London club went back to Stamford Bridge in search of answers. This time, they found one.
Spurs secured a loan deal for Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk before the deadline, reuniting the former Shakhtar Donetsk wide man with Roberto De Zerbi, the coach who helped unlock his potential in Ukraine.
City walk away from the window with a record-equalling coup and a high-impact forward stolen from under a rival’s nose. Spurs, left to adjust on the fly, now have to prove their late scramble can still fuel a serious season.
