Pat Nevin believes Iliman Ndiaye would need to think of the bigger picture if he was to become the subject of summer interest
Iliman Ndiaye reacts at the end of the Premier League match between Everton and Chelsea at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The winger scored the third goal in a 3-0 win for Everton. Photo by Richard Martin-Roberts - CameraSport via Getty Images
Iliman Ndiaye reacts at the end of the Premier League match between Everton and Chelsea. Photo by Richard Martin-Roberts - CameraSport via Getty Images
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Former Everton star Pat Nevin believes Iliman Ndiaye is good enough to play for anyone but that the winger would be wise to stay on Merseyside.
Ndiaye is enjoying a breakout season with the wider world appearing to have finally woken up to the talent of the Blues man. That awakening is partly down to his influence in Senegal’s run to the final of Africa Cup of Nations [they have since been stripped of their win but are disputing that decision] but it has been intensified by his skilful showings in the Premier League.
The 26-year-old’s stunning solo goal at Sunderland in November was one highlight while he capped off the latest tranche of fixtures with his superb finish in the demolition of Chelsea at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Individual pieces of brilliance have become the subject of multiple viral highlight reels on social media this season.
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Everton are comfortable about Ndiaye’s future, the club’s new-found financial stability and the length of his contract both placing the Blues in a strong position should interest materialise in the summer. That would hardly be a surprise given Ndiaye’s form across the last 18 months. He was one of the club’s best players last season and is Everton’s joint-top scorer in the Premier League this season despite having missed more than a month due to his AFCON exploits.
For Nevin, there is confidence Ndiaye could excel at any level but, speaking to MyBettingSites, he said the player would need to consider the bigger picture should a club fighting at the top of the game make a move for him.
He said: “Iliman Ndiaye was easily already good enough for Manchester United or Liverpool a year ago as far as I am concerned. Watching him play, I just wouldn’t be surprised if Manchester City even came for him.”
“He is a great player and at Manchester City he would just get the ball even more in the final third with fantastic players around him. He is really up there and he could play there. He may be tempted and the clubs might be tempted to come for him.”
“But to be honest, even though he is a great player, I am not 100% sure it would work. I am sure he has the level, but would he play week in week out? I think you have to consider that, and he is the type of player where I would urge him to stay. I don’t think it would work out, but he is good enough to do it. He is brilliant, but is he going to play every week?”
“He would compete against Jeremy Doku and of course you always back yourself as a player, but even looking at Eberechi Eze at Arsenal… He doesn’t even play every week and the guy is unbelievable. Sometimes it is better being a big fish in a small pond.”