Everton Firm on Iliman Ndiaye Amid Manchester United Interest
Manchester United have identified Iliman Ndiaye as a live option for their revamped attack under Michael Carrick – but Everton are preparing to slam the door shut with a price tag designed to scare off even Old Trafford.
Carrick, now confirmed as permanent manager after steering United back into the Champions League, has been backed to reshape a squad that creaked its way through last season. Midfield is already being addressed, with Ederson set to arrive from Atalanta, yet the rebuild does not stop there. United want more goals, more threat, more variety across the front line.
Ndiaye fits that brief. That is the problem for Everton.
United interest meets Everton resistance
United’s recruitment team have been tracking options across the forward line, with a move for Brentford striker Igor Thiago under discussion. At the same time, they have joined Liverpool in monitoring Ndiaye, whose contractual stand-off at Goodison Park has alerted every elite club in need of a left-sided attacker.
The Senegal international is currently preparing for the World Cup, but his club situation refuses to stay in the background. Ndiaye, signed from Marseille for just £15 million in 2024, has so far refused to sign a new Everton deal unless it includes an exit clause. That has opened a small crack in the door. United and Liverpool are testing how wide it can be pushed.
Everton’s answer is blunt: it cannot.
According to The Athletic, the Merseyside club intend to put a “prohibitive valuation” on the 26‑year‑old. The figure is around £69 million (€80m / $92.7m) – a number set with one eye firmly on Anthony Gordon’s £70m switch from Newcastle United to Barcelona. If Gordon can fetch that fee, Everton argue, then a versatile, prime‑age attacker under a long contract will not leave on the cheap.
The message is as much psychological as financial. United, Liverpool and anyone else thinking of testing Everton’s resolve will have to come armed with Champions League money and a very strong conviction.
Moyes draws a line in the sand
The valuation is only one part of the barrier. The other is David Moyes.
Everton know they must sell this summer to balance the books and fund new recruits. The squad needs surgery, not tinkering. But Moyes has been crystal clear: Ndiaye is not part of that trade-off.
Speaking in April, when rumours first began to swirl, Moyes did not hide his stance.
“He is the last person I would consider selling,” he 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?”
For a manager trying to construct something durable, Ndiaye is a cornerstone. Everton share that view. He is under contract for another three years, and the club want to extend that deal on improved terms, even as he continues to push for an exit clause.
A £15m bargain turned £69m headache
The scale of the jump from £15m to a £69m asking price underlines just how quickly Ndiaye’s stock has risen.
Last season, Moyes used him predominantly on the right, where he stretched defences and dragged full-backs into uncomfortable territory. Yet his flexibility is what makes him so attractive to United and Liverpool. Ndiaye also played 11 times off the left, offering a different angle of attack and a natural route inside.
Across the campaign he produced six goals and three assists – not gaudy numbers, but important ones in a side still finding its attacking rhythm. More than the raw statistics, his ability to operate across the front line, press aggressively and link play has marked him out as a modern forward who can plug several gaps at once.
That is exactly what Carrick wants at Old Trafford as United prepare for a season on multiple fronts. A Champions League campaign, domestic cups and a Premier League top-four fight demand depth and variety. Hence the parallel pursuits: a central striker like Igor Thiago, and a wide forward who can flip flanks and unlock tight games.
Ndiaye ticks those boxes. Everton know it – and are pricing him accordingly.
High stakes around a restless talent
Behind the scenes, the tension is clear. Everton want to reward Ndiaye with a longer, more lucrative contract. The player wants security but also a route out if a giant comes calling. That stand-off has drawn suitors closer, sensing an opportunity if relations sour.
For now, Everton are betting that a near-£70m valuation, coupled with Moyes’ public resistance, will be enough to keep their forward in blue for at least another year. They are also banking on the market. With several wingers available across Europe, United may decide that pushing into that price bracket for Ndiaye makes little sense when other targets sit on Carrick’s list.
United’s interest is real, but not exclusive. Ndiaye is one of several wide options being assessed at Old Trafford, not the only one. That gives Everton a sliver of comfort.
The question is whether a club that once turned £15m into a bargain can now hold its nerve as that bargain becomes a £69m temptation in a summer where every big decision will shape the next phase of their rebuild.
