Iliman Ndiaye's road from seventh-tier football to £65m Manchester City signing

Manchester City have announced the signing of Iliman Ndiaye from Everton. The deal for the 26-year-old Senegal winger is worth £60 million up front with a further £5 million in add-ons, completing a journey few could have predicted: just over six years ago he was making his professional debut in the seventh tier of English football. Ndiaye signs a five-year contract and now steps into one of the most ambitious projects in European football.

• Manchester City pay £60 million fixed plus £5 million in add-ons for Iliman Ndiaye.
• The 26-year-old Senegal winger signs a five-year contract with the club.
• Six years ago Ndiaye was playing Sunday league football and in the seventh English tier.
• Tottenham had agreed terms with Everton, but the move collapsed over the Richarlison deal.
• Ndiaye becomes the eighth summer arrival for Enzo Maresca's side, alongside Enzo Fernandez.

Iliman Ndiaye to Manchester City: the transfer fee and contract details

City's outlay for Ndiaye breaks down as £60 million guaranteed plus up to £5 million in performance-related add-ons. The total figure of £65 million represents four times the £16 million Everton paid Marseille in July 2024, a sharp rise in value for a player who only recently established himself at the highest level.

Ndiaye's arrival comes on the same day City agreed to pay £125 million for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, a fee matching the joint-British transfer record. The Argentine becomes the latest piece of an ambitious summer: Maresca's side have now added eight new faces, including Elliot Anderson, Geronimo Rulli, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Allan Elias, Jeremy Monga and Pierce Charles.

I've worked my whole life for an opportunity like this. City are one of the best clubs in the world and I've seen them win everything as I've grown up. To be able to write my own chapter in a story that special is the chance of a lifetime and I'm determined to grab it with both hands.

From Boreham Wood and Sunday league to the Etihad Stadium

Ndiaye's route to the Premier League has been anything but conventional. At 19, while living in London, he was combining Boreham Wood's youth setup with Sunday league football. That changed when Sheffield United invited him for a one-week trial: two matches were enough for the Premier League club to offer the talented teenager a contract.

Even so, his Blades debut took another 18 months to arrive. In search of minutes, he joined Hyde United in the Northern Premier Division on loan for the second half of the 2019-20 season, six levels below the top flight. He played six matches there, his first taste of professional football, often staying out on the training pitch at the risk of missing the last train back to Sheffield.

His Premier League bow came in March 2021 against Leicester City, but Sheffield United's relegation delayed his establishment at the highest level. It took two Championship seasons and a starring role in the 2023 promotion campaign —14 goals in 43 starts— to prove he belonged in the top tier.

Marseille setback, Everton revival and the Tottenham deal that collapsed

After guiding Sheffield United back to the promised land, Ndiaye moved to Marseille in the summer of 2023. His single season in France fell short of expectations and, just a year later, he returned to England with Everton for £16 million. On Merseyside he rediscovered his best form and became a firm fan favourite, earning the nickname 'Skiliman' for his dazzling footwork.

In 67 Premier League appearances for Everton he scored 15 goals and provided four assists. That output attracted serious interest: early in the summer he held talks with Saudi club Al-Hilal, while Tottenham agreed terms with Everton on Friday night in a move that would have seen Richarlison travel the other way in a separate transfer. The Brazilian, however, failed to agree personal terms with his former club and Spurs were unable to proceed, clearing the path for City.

What Iliman Ndiaye brings to Enzo Maresca's Manchester City

Ndiaye's greatest weapon is his ability to beat a man. His 73 completed dribbles last season accounted for the highest share of any Premier League player relative to his team's total: of Everton's 250 successful take-ons, nearly a third came from the Senegal international.

Other underlying numbers invite a measure of caution. With nine goal contributions in the last league campaign, he trailed Beto's 10 and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's 12 within the Everton squad alone. His creative output was also modest: 36 chances created ranked fourth at the club, well behind James Garner's 62 and even Jack Grealish's 44, despite the latter's season ending in January through injury.

Context, however, works in the Senegal winger's favour. Surrounded by better attacking talent in a team that dominates possession, Ndiaye's numbers should improve. At 26, he arrives at the Etihad at exactly the right moment to take a leap that seemed unthinkable six years ago.

A transfer market with no ceiling in the Premier League

The Ndiaye deal comes during a summer of inflated prices across English football. The Premier League is breaking its own transfer spending records for a second consecutive year, and City's sale of Savio to Tottenham for an initial £75 million has fuelled the debate over whether Everton should have demanded more for their star player.

From Everton's perspective, quadrupling their initial investment in two years is excellent business. The Merseyside club has also moved in the opposite direction by agreeing a loan deal for Jack Grealish from City and sanctioning the departure of Beto. The transfer wheel keeps spinning at full speed, and Ndiaye is among its leading protagonists.

Frequently asked questions about Iliman Ndiaye's move to Manchester City