Everton Stand Firm on Iliman Ndiaye Amid Manchester United Interest

Manchester United have identified Iliman Ndiaye as a potential summer signing, but Everton are preparing to slam the door shut with a price tag designed to scare off even their wealthiest rivals.

United, fresh from confirming Michael Carrick as permanent manager after his impressive interim spell delivered Champions League football, are ready to reshape the squad. A new midfielder is close, with Ederson set to arrive from Atalanta, yet the recruitment drive will not stop there. The forward line is next in line for surgery.

Carrick wants greater depth across the front three. A move for Brentford striker Igor Thiago is being worked on, while attention has also turned to Ndiaye, whose contract situation at Goodison Park has alerted some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

The 26-year-old, currently preparing with Senegal for the World Cup, has stalled on signing a new deal with Everton. Talks have dragged on for a year, multiple offers have been rejected, and the player is only willing to commit if a release clause is written into the agreement. That stand-off has opened a small window. United and Liverpool are both trying to look through it.

Everton, though, are intent on slamming it shut.

A £69m wall

According to The Athletic, the Merseyside club will respond by placing a “prohibitive valuation” on Ndiaye, slapping a figure of around £69m (€80m / $92.7m) on the winger before they even sit down at the table.

The logic is clear. Anthony Gordon’s recent £70m move from Newcastle United to Barcelona has reset the market for wide forwards of Ndiaye’s age and profile. Everton intend to use that benchmark as both shield and warning. You want him? You pay Gordon money.

The hope inside Goodison is that such a valuation will cool the interest from Old Trafford and elsewhere, buying Everton time either to secure a new contract or at least to ensure they are not forced into a cut-price sale.

Ndiaye only arrived from Marseille in 2024 for £15m, but his impact under David Moyes has been swift. Deployed mostly off the right last season, he still managed to show his flexibility, appearing 11 times on the left and finishing the campaign with six goals and three assists in all competitions. For a manager trying to rebuild a side while juggling financial constraints, that kind of output and versatility is gold dust.

Moyes draws a line

Moyes has been blunt about where Ndiaye sits in his plans. Everton may need to sell this summer to balance the books and fund new arrivals, yet the Scot has made it clear who will not be used to plug any gaps.

Speaking in April, he did not bother to dress it up.

“He is the last person I would consider selling,” Moyes said, doubling down on his stance when pressed on the possibility of a summer exit.

“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 coach who knows how fragile a rebuild can be, Ndiaye is a cornerstone, not a tradeable asset.

United’s dilemma

From United’s perspective, the attraction is obvious. At 26, Ndiaye fits the profile of a forward entering his prime, capable of playing across the front line and offering immediate competition on the left, where both United and Liverpool are shopping this summer.

Yet the £69m figure changes the equation. United have other priorities, notably in midfield, and other wide options on Carrick’s list. Committing that level of fee to one player, especially one not yet proven at the very top of European competition, is a serious call.

The market has seen these stand-offs before. A club under financial pressure but determined not to lose a key man on the cheap. A Champions League side weighing up whether to push hard now or move on to the next name on the shortlist.

Everton have made their move. They have priced Ndiaye as if he is untouchable and backed Moyes’ public stance with a valuation that leaves no room for misinterpretation.

Now the question hangs over Old Trafford: is Iliman Ndiaye worth tearing down a £69m barrier for, or will United’s search for a new winger move elsewhere?