A former Everton star has sent a transfer message to Iliman Ndiaye - telling the Senegal international: “I don’t think it’s the right time for him to move.”
Everton have attempted to hand Ndiaye a new contract on improved wages as a reward for his form since his £15million move from Olympique Marseille in July 2024.
But despite having been in talks since the start of the year, his camp have rejected a number contract offers for the star, who is among Manchester United's potential summer targets.
Arsenal and Manchester City are also reportedly among Ndiaye's admirers. However, given the player is under contract until 2029, Everton are under no obligation to entertain interest.
Ndiaye outlined his aspirations to play Champions League football in an interview before the World Cup, where he netted his first goal in the tournament when he completed a 5-0 rout against Iraq in Senegal’s final Group I fixture, following up a mazy dribble with an emphatic right-foot strike from outside the area.
However, despite starting their round-of-32 clash against Belgium alongside club colleague Idrissa Gueye, Ndiaye was left helpless following his 73rd-minute substitution as the Lions of Teranga surrendered a 2-0 lead, conceding twice in the final four minutes.
Efforts from the Blues’ all-time leading Premier League goalscorer Romelu Lukaku (86) and Youri Tielemans (89) took the contest into extra-time, with the Aston Villa midfielder then dumping Senegal out of the competition with a last-gasp penalty in the additional period.
David Moyes addressed the issue of Ndiaye's future head on when speaking in his pre-match press conference to preview Everton’s 2-2 draw at Brentford on April 11.
Asked whether the Blues can move on from having to sell their top players amid speculation over top teams casting admiring glances at Ndiaye, the manager said: “He is the last person I would consider selling.
“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.
“I don’t think there is any club that is not a selling club at the right value for their player. I am not saying that means he is for sale, I am not, I just think it is a genuine thing where there is a price where people would say: ‘well, we have to do something.’
“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 our better players?”
It’s a sentiment shared by Ayegbeni Yakubu, a player who Moyes himself brought to Everton for a then club-record £11.25m in 2007, a fee now valued by football finance expert Kieran Maguire as being the equivalent of £43.1m.
Ayegbeni Yakubu celebrates scoring his hat-trick during the match between Everton and Fulham at Goodison Park on December 8, 2007
Ayegbeni Yakubu celebrates scoring his hat-trick during the match between Everton and Fulham at Goodison Park on December 8, 2007(Image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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Speaking exclusively to Toffeeweb, the former Nigeria international believes the Blues need to do all they can to secure Ndiaye’s future and said: “For sure, when you play so well, and he’s been brilliant for us, when you play so well, a lot of interest will come.
“I just want the club to tie him down and give him another contract. For me, I don’t think it’s the right time for him to move, and we still need him. “I know sometimes players want to move on, but he’s another one we need to keep. I think he helps the team a lot.
“He’s so good, good with the ball, good with his feet. We need to bring a couple of players to build (around him), and we can start thinking about Europe.”
Indeed, Yakubu, who netted 21 goals in his first season at Goodison Park, has compared Ndiaye to one of his former Everton team-mates. The 43-year-old said: “He plays a bit like Steven Pienaar, Iliman.
“He plays exactly like another Steven Pienaar. I would enjoy playing with him in the same team because he has that vision, knows how to dribble, and how to pass the ball forward.
“For me, as a striker, I just want those moves in the 18-yard box, and I think he can really, really pass it to me, and I wish I were still young to go back there to play with him, and it will be nice. He’s another good one.”