Iliman Ndiaye can be Everton’s “Jeremy Doku” figure but the Blues need to find another top winger on the other flank now Jack Grealish is injured.
That’s the verdict of Anders Limpar who was part of Everton’s last trophy-winning side when they lifted the FA Cup in 1995. During his time at Goodison Park, the Sweden international was dubbed “a football genius” by manager Joe Royle, but the 60-year-old reckons that current star Ndiaye is something special.
Snapped up from Olympique Marseille for £15million in July 2024, the Senegal ace – who lifted the Africa Cup of Nations alongside club colleague Idrissa Gueye in January – finished top scorer in his first season on Merseyside with 11 goals in all competitions. After netting the last two goals in Everton’s final game at Goodison Park, he followed up that historic feat with the first goal in a competitive match at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
This term, the 25-year-old has also become a maker as well as taker of chances, as demonstrated by his assist for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the Blues’ last match on Tuesday when they defeated Burnley 2-0. Earlier this season, manager David Moyes claimed to be in the dark about a supposed £40million bid for Ndiaye from Internazionale being rejected last summer but Limpar insists that Everton need to be fully aware of the player’s worth.
Speaking to aceodds, he said: “Ndiaye, I can see him fitting in at any top team in the Premier League. He is that good. I hope that he doesn’t leave Everton.
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“He’s similar to Doku and he could play on the wing for a Liverpool or for Manchester United. He’s that good."
“I hope Everton see that and they don’t let him go because if we sign Grealish, keep Ndiaye and solve this problem up front with a proper number nine who can score goals, then Everton can challenge for the top six for many years.”
Ndiaye played most of last season on the left wing but moved to the right at the start of the current campaign following the acquisition of Jack Grealish on a season long loan. However, with the first £100million English footballer now seemingly ruled out for the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot, Moyes has been deploying the likes of Harrison Armstrong and Dwight McNeil on the opposite flank to Ndiaye.
Limpar said: “There’s a lot of talk about making Jack Grealish’s move permanent and when I see him and Ndiaye playing together, Everton look good.
“When I see that Jack is not there and Ndiaye is on his own, he’s not as good because Jack is letting the pressure off everybody when he's receiving the ball and being calm on the ball. He needs a winger like that, Ndiaye, to be good at Everton.”