Everton's Stance on Iliman Ndiaye Amid Manchester United Interest
Manchester United have identified Iliman Ndiaye as a live option for their revamped forward line under Michael Carrick – but Everton’s response is blunt: if you want him, pay a defender’s ransom.
Carrick, now confirmed as permanent manager after guiding United back into the Champions League, is pushing for reinforcements across the pitch. Midfield is being addressed with Ederson expected to arrive from Atalanta. Up front, the club are already working on a deal for Brentford striker Igor Thiago.
Ndiaye sits on a different branch of that rebuild. He is the flexible, modern attacker United lack on the left, yet he has built his reputation at Everton largely from the opposite flank.
A £15 million signing from Marseille in 2024, the Senegal international quickly became one of David Moyes’ most trusted forwards. Operating mainly from the right, Ndiaye still found time to drift left, featuring 11 times on that side last season and finishing the campaign with six goals and three assists. Those numbers, combined with his work rate and tactical intelligence, have not gone unnoticed at Old Trafford or Anfield.
Both United and Liverpool are in the market for a left-sided attacker. Both have been monitoring the 26‑year‑old, a former Sheffield United standout now preparing for the World Cup with Senegal. His situation at Goodison Park has only sharpened that interest.
Contract stand-off meets hardline stance
Ndiaye has rejected multiple contract offers over the past 12 months. Everton want to extend a deal that already has three years left to run, tying him down on improved terms and protecting his value. Ndiaye, for his part, is holding firm: no new contract without an exit clause.
That impasse has opened a small window. Everton are determined to slam it shut with price, not persuasion.
According to The Athletic, the club will place what has been described as a “prohibitive valuation” on Ndiaye, setting an asking price of around £69 million (€80m / $92.7m). The logic is simple. If Anthony Gordon can move from Newcastle United to Barcelona for £70m, then Everton see no reason to discount a player they view as equally central to their plans.
The figure is less an invitation to bid than a warning sign. It is designed to make suitors think twice, particularly United, who are juggling several targets and a finite budget despite their Champions League return.
Moyes: “The last person I would consider selling”
Behind that price tag stands a manager who has no interest in negotiation.
Speaking in April, Moyes left no room for interpretation when asked about speculation over Ndiaye’s future.
“He is the last person I would consider selling,” the Everton boss said. “There are others as well [that I wouldn’t want to sell], but my point is I have no interest in hearing the talk if there is talk out there.
“But it is getting too hard to build teams and also supporters are looking for a quick return, which managers are not getting. So why would we be giving up their better players?”
That is the crux of Everton’s position. Yes, the club may need to move players on this summer to balance the books and fund new arrivals. No, they do not want to start by dismantling the core of Moyes’ side. Ndiaye, in their eyes, is part of the solution, not a saleable asset.
United’s dilemma
For United, the situation poses a familiar question. How far do they push for a player who is admired but not essential, expensive but not unattainable?
Carrick’s recruitment team are casting the net wide. Ndiaye is on the list, but he is not the only winger under consideration at Old Trafford. The club want competition and variety across the front line, with a profile that can complement rather than block existing options.
The £69m valuation changes the calculation. It elevates Ndiaye from smart opportunity to marquee-level investment, the kind of outlay that usually comes with guaranteed starts and a central role in the project.
Everton are betting that United will look elsewhere before they test that resolve. If they do not, the next move in this stand-off will say a lot about both clubs: how hard Everton are prepared to hold the line, and how aggressively United intend to spend their way back to the top.
