Manchester City have completed the signing of Iliman Ndiaye from Everton in a deal reportedly worth up to £65 million, adding one of the Premier League’s most exciting dribblers to Enzo Maresca’s new-look squad.
Category: Transfer News | Premier League
Published: September 1, 2026
By Abiodun Adewale Adeniyi | Founder & Editor, Beyond the Final Whistle
September 1, 2026 | Iliman Ndiaye Manchester City Transfer
Manchester City have officially completed the signing of Iliman Ndiaye from Everton, adding another versatile attacking option to Enzo Maresca’s squad on transfer deadline day.
The 26-year-old Senegal international has signed a five-year contract, keeping him at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2031.
Manchester City did not publicly disclose the transfer fee in their announcement, but Sky Sports reports that City will pay £60 million guaranteed plus another £5 million in potential bonuses, taking the overall package to £65 million.
The transfer represents the biggest move of Ndiaye’s club career after impressive spells with Sheffield United, Marseille and Everton.
For Manchester City, however, this is about more than adding another attacker.
Ndiaye’s dribbling ability, versatility, Premier League experience and willingness to attack defenders could give Maresca a different weapon as City continue reshaping their squad.
Iliman Ndiaye to Manchester City: Transfer Details
Manchester City officially announced Ndiaye’s arrival from Everton on September 1 after completing the deal during the closing stages of the summer transfer window.
Here are the key details:
- Player: Iliman Ndiaye
- From: Everton
- To: Manchester City
- Age: 26
- Nationality: Senegal
- Position: Winger / Attacking midfielder / Forward
- Reported fee: £60 million
- Reported add-ons: £5 million
- Potential total: £65 million
- Contract: Five years
- Contract expires: Summer 2031
- Status: Officially confirmed
Manchester City’s official announcement describes Ndiaye as a two-footed attacking player capable of operating on the wing or through the middle.
That versatility could prove particularly important for Maresca.
Why Manchester City Signed Iliman Ndiaye
Manchester City already possess enormous technical quality, but Ndiaye provides something particularly valuable: unpredictability in one-on-one situations.
City frequently face opponents who defend deep and place large numbers of players behind the ball.
Passing combinations can break those defensive structures, but sometimes an individual player needs to eliminate an opponent.
Ndiaye can do exactly that.
His close control allows him to receive possession in crowded areas, while his acceleration and balance make him difficult to stop when he attacks defenders directly.
City themselves highlighted his dribbling ability when announcing the transfer, describing it as one of the qualities that has made him such an entertaining Premier League attacker.
That ability gives Maresca another way to unlock stubborn defences.
What Iliman Ndiaye Can Bring to Manchester City
Ndiaye isn’t simply a traditional winger.
One of the biggest attractions of the signing is his ability to perform several attacking roles.
He can play wide, move centrally or operate behind a striker.
That gives Manchester City several tactical possibilities.
1. Exceptional Dribbling Ability
Ndiaye’s ability to beat defenders is arguably his greatest individual weapon.
He is comfortable attacking opponents directly and possesses the close control required to change direction quickly without losing possession.
Against a deep defensive block, that can be extremely valuable.
City already have players capable of controlling matches through possession.
Ndiaye provides someone capable of disrupting the structure of those matches through individual skill.
Isolate him against a defender and he will look to attack.
2. Positional Versatility
Modern attacking football increasingly requires players to operate in several positions during the same match.
Ndiaye fits that profile.
He can start on the wing before moving inside.
He can operate between the lines.
And he can play through the middle when required.
Manchester City have officially highlighted his ability to play both centrally and from wider positions.
That versatility should allow Maresca to alter his attacking structure without necessarily making substitutions.
3. Premier League Experience
Another advantage is that Ndiaye already understands English football.
City aren’t signing a player who must discover the speed and physical demands of the Premier League for the first time.
Ndiaye spent two seasons with Everton after joining from Marseille in 2024.
According to Manchester City’s official statistics, he registered 11 goals in 37 appearances across all competitions in 2024/25.
He followed that with six goals and three assists from 34 appearances during 2025/26.
Before completing his City move, he had also made three appearances for Everton during the opening weeks of the 2026/27 campaign.
That experience could make his transition to the Etihad significantly easier.
From Sheffield United to Manchester City
Ndiaye’s journey to Manchester City has been anything but conventional.
Born in France and spending part of his childhood in Senegal, he eventually moved to England as a teenager.
His pathway towards professional football included time with non-league side Boreham Wood before Sheffield United recognised his potential.
That opportunity transformed his career.
Ndiaye gradually established himself with the Blades before producing a superb 2022/23 campaign.
He registered 15 goals and 12 assists from 52 appearances across all competitions as Sheffield United secured promotion to the Premier League.
He was also named the club’s Player of the Year.
Those performances earned him a move to Marseille in 2023.
After one season in France, Everton brought him back to English football in 2024.
Two years later, Manchester City have made him one of their major additions of the 2026 summer transfer window.
It has been a remarkable rise.
Why Ndiaye’s Everton Performances Attracted City
Ndiaye developed into one of Everton’s most dangerous attacking players.
Goals and assists only tell part of the story.
His willingness to receive possession and attack defenders gave Everton an important outlet when moving from defence into attack.
Ndiaye could collect the ball under pressure, escape a challenge and carry possession forward.
That individual ability is particularly interesting for Manchester City.
Maresca’s side will expect to dominate possession in many matches, but possession alone doesn’t guarantee chances.
Sometimes a defender has to be beaten.
Sometimes the tactical structure needs to be disrupted.
Ndiaye gives City another player capable of doing that.
Where Will Iliman Ndiaye Play for Manchester City?
One of the most interesting questions surrounding the transfer is where Maresca intends to use Ndiaye.
The obvious starting point is on the wing.
His ability to attack defenders makes him dangerous when receiving possession in wide areas.
However, restricting him to the touchline would ignore much of his versatility.
Ndiaye can drift centrally and receive possession between opposition midfield and defensive lines.
He can also operate closer to the striker.
That means Maresca could use him as a conventional winger in certain matches and give him a much more fluid role in others.
His two-footed ability makes him even more flexible.
Ndiaye Joins Manchester City’s New Era
Ndiaye’s arrival also comes during a fascinating period of transition at Manchester City.
The club is building a new team under Enzo Maresca following Pep Guardiola’s departure, and Ndiaye becomes another important part of that project.
City’s challenge is not simply to reproduce everything that worked previously.
They are developing a new identity while maintaining the expectation of competing for major trophies.
That requires players who can function within a possession-based system while also offering individual qualities.
Ndiaye appears to fit that requirement.
His close control suits a team that wants the football.
His dribbling provides unpredictability.
His positional flexibility gives Maresca options.
And his Premier League experience means he already understands the level required.
Ndiaye Explains Why He Chose Manchester City
Ndiaye made his ambitions clear after completing the transfer.
Speaking to Manchester City’s official website, the Senegal international revealed that discussions with Maresca and Director of Football Hugo Viana helped convince him that City was the right destination.
Ndiaye described the move as an opportunity he had worked towards throughout his career and made clear that City’s attacking approach appealed to him.
He now has an opportunity to test himself at a club where competing for trophies is expected rather than simply hoped for.
That represents a major step in his career.
What the Transfer Means for Everton
For Everton, losing Ndiaye is significant.
The £65 million reported package represents a major financial return on a player they signed from Marseille only two years earlier.
But replacing what he provided on the pitch will not necessarily be straightforward.
Players capable of carrying possession, beating defenders and creating opportunities through individual skill are difficult to replace.
Ndiaye had become an important part of Everton’s attack.
His departure therefore gives Everton resources to reinvest while simultaneously creating another problem for the club to solve.
Manchester City’s Deadline-Day Ambition
Ndiaye’s transfer also demonstrates just how aggressive Manchester City have been during the closing stages of the window.
Rather than settling for their existing attacking options, City moved decisively to strengthen Maresca’s squad.
Ndiaye became their seventh signing of the summer, demonstrating the scale of the rebuilding project underway at the Etihad.
Deadline Day has produced several major moves across Europe.
We have also covered Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri’s move to Borussia Dortmund as clubs across Europe make their final adjustments for the 2026/27 campaign.
The activity underlines how quickly the competitive picture can change during the final hours of a transfer window.
What Ndiaye Could Mean for the Premier League Title Race
Manchester City’s decision to invest heavily in another attacker also has implications beyond the Etihad.
City expect to challenge at the top of the Premier League.
Every significant addition therefore matters to their rivals.
Arsenal remain among the clubs with major domestic ambitions, something we previously examined in our analysis of whether Arsenal can defend their Premier League title.
Chelsea’s prospects have also been an important storyline, and we have analysed whether Chelsea can win the Premier League this season.
Adding Ndiaye doesn’t automatically make Manchester City favourites.
But it gives Maresca another experienced Premier League attacker capable of changing matches.
Across a long title race, that additional depth could prove extremely valuable.
Can Ndiaye Make the Step Up at Manchester City?
This is ultimately the biggest question surrounding the transfer.
Performing well for Everton and delivering consistently for Manchester City represent different challenges.
At the Etihad, expectations are enormous.
Every performance matters.
Competition for positions will be intense.
And City expect to challenge for major trophies every season.
Ndiaye will therefore need to prove that his technical ability can translate into consistent production at an elite club.
There are plenty of reasons to believe he can succeed.
He already knows the Premier League.
At 26, he should be entering the prime years of his career.
He has demonstrated the ability to beat defenders at the highest level.
And his versatility should give Maresca several ways to use him.
The next challenge is turning those qualities into goals, assists and decisive performances.
A £65m Gamble — or Smart Business?
A reported £65 million package represents a significant investment.
That inevitably brings pressure.
Ndiaye will be judged differently at Manchester City than he was at Everton.
Good performances will no longer be enough on their own.
City will expect end product.
They will expect consistency.
And they will expect him to contribute towards winning trophies.
However, Manchester City are buying a player with Premier League experience who is entering his prime rather than paying exclusively for potential.
That reduces some of the uncertainty surrounding the transfer.
If Ndiaye can combine his dribbling and creativity with improved goals and assists, the investment could prove worthwhile.
Final Thoughts
Manchester City’s signing of Iliman Ndiaye is one of the most intriguing Premier League transfers of the 2026 summer window.
The £60 million guaranteed fee plus £5 million in potential bonuses, as reported by Sky Sports, represents a substantial investment in a player who has taken an unconventional route to the top.
From Boreham Wood to Sheffield United.
From Marseille to Everton.
And now from Everton to Manchester City.
Ndiaye’s career has been built on continually proving that he belongs at the next level.
Manchester City represents his biggest challenge yet.
His dribbling ability, positional versatility and Premier League experience give him the tools to succeed, but he must now demonstrate that he can consistently deliver for a team expected to compete for the biggest trophies.
For Manchester City, the attraction is obvious.
They have acquired a 26-year-old attacker entering his prime who can operate across several positions and create opportunities through individual skill.
For Ndiaye, the opportunity is even bigger.
After years of climbing football’s ladder, he has arrived at one of Europe’s elite clubs.
Now he has to prove he belongs there.
