Everton's Iliman Ndiaye celebrates Thierno Barry scoring their third goal
Everton's Iliman Ndiaye celebrates Thierno Barry scoring their third goal
Everton attacker Iliman Ndiaye is facing an uncertain future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium amid interest from several teams during the summer transfer window.
Last month, Al-Hilal opened talks with the Toffees over a deal for the Senegal international and were told that it could take a fee of up to £81m to reach an agreement.
Everton's Iliman Ndiaye arrives before the match
Everton's Iliman Ndiaye arrives before the match
They are not the only club in the race for his signature, though, as Premier League champions Arsenal are also said to be keen on a deal for the attacking midfielder.
It now remains to be seen whether or not Al-Hilal or the Gunners are prepared to pay what Everton want for the former Sheffield United playmaker.
Why Everton should cash in on Iliman Ndiaye
Ndiaye is an incredibly exciting player to watch play because of his dribbling skills, as he averaged 2.3 completed dribbles per game in the league last term, and losing him would be a blow on paper.
He gets supporters off their feet with his runs on the ball, committing defenders and getting into the final third, but his end product at the top end of the pitch was not always at the required level.
The 26-year-old forward failed to reach double figures for goal contributions in his 32 appearances in the Premier League, scoring six times and providing three assists for his teammates.
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25/26 Premier League Iliman Ndiaye
Appearances 32
xG 6.71
Goals 6
Minutes per goal 464
Big chances created 7
xA 4.41
Assists 3
He underperformed against his xG and almost averaged a goal every 500 minutes in the division, whilst rarely assisting goals, and this shows that he still has plenty of room for development in his game.
iliman-ndiaye-everton
If Al-Hilal or Arsenal, therefore, are willing to pay around £80m for the Senegalese star, Everton should cash in on him and use the money to sign a wide player who could potentially offer more quality as a scorer or as a creator of goals.
Everton pursuing star who is better than Iliman Ndiaye
Selling Ndiaye for £81m would be a club-record sale, more than the £75m that they raked in from Manchester United for Romelu Lukaku, and they may only have to spend a fraction of that to land an upgrade on him.
Turkish journalist Ali Naci Küçük, as relayed by Sport Witness, claims that Everton are in the race to sign Galatasaray forward Baris Alper Yilmaz before the end of the summer transfer window.
The reporter reveals that the Toffees have already had an offer of £30m rejected by the Super Lig outfit, but they remain interested in the Turkey international as they line up a move to improve their attack.
Küçük, however, states that Tottenham Hotspur are showing the most serious interest in the 26-year-old and are preparing a bid of £43m for the winger, which means that Everton may have to move quickly if they want to get a deal done.
yilmaz-turkey
David Moyes should be pushing for the club to make a second offer for the left winger in the coming days because he would be a terrific addition to the squad at the Hill Dickinson.
Yilmaz could arrive on Merseyside as the perfect and instant replacement for Ndiaye, should the club opt to cash in on him, whilst being an even better option than the Senegal international on the flank.
Their respective statistics at league level in the 2025/26 campaign suggest that the Turkey international has the potential to offer more to Everton as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the left flank.
The Turkish star also scored 12 goals and created eight 'big chances' in the 2024/25 Super Lig season for Galatasaray, which shows that his form last term was not just a flash in the pan.
He may not be as exciting as Ndiaye in general play, averaging 0.7 fewer dribbles per game, but he appears to be far more effective in the opposition's box.
Yilmaz may not get fans off their seats as much as the Senegal international in build-up play. However, the forward will get fans off their seats when he scores and creates goals to win points for the team.
baris-alper-yilmaz-turkey
The £43m-rated star scored ten goals and provided 12 assists in all competitions for Galatasaray last term, whilst Ndiaye has only assisted three goals in 71 matches for Everton in the last two seasons combined.
Therefore, Yilmaz could be a dream signing for the Toffees this summer because he could allow the club to cash in on Ndiaye and improve their team at the same time, by adding a player who looks a class above him as a scorer and a creator of goals.
It is now down to the board to make their move to get ahead of Tottenham in the race for his signature, though, to avoid missing out on a deal.