Louis Saha is a legend of the game. He needs to introduction, especially to long-time watchers of the Premier League. He spent time at Manchester United, Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur – today, however, his Everton connections will be put under the spotlight.
Iliman Ndiaye has been the subject of one of the most intriguing transfer sagas of the summer transfer window thus far. He has been subjected to several moves away recently, with some big hitters in the mix.
According to a report from CaughtOffside, Arsenal, Manchester United and bitter rivals Liverpool are all in the mix to bring Ndiaye on board in the coming weeks.
On top of this, Football Insider claims that Manchester City are also amongst the interested parties. As such, the Toffees have a mountain to climb if they want to keep him at the Hill Dickinson Stadium this summer.
Nevertheless, Saha has urged Everton to do everything the can to keep Ndiaye on their books. He stressed his importance to the team, stating that he is ‘one of the best technical players in the Premier League’.
What did Louis Saha have to say about Iliman Ndiaye?
Speaking with PariuriX, Saha said: “I think it is very important to keep Iliman Ndiaye. I am not sure what is going on with Jack Grealish at the moment, but the balance they had from the left and right hand side was very good.
“For me, Iliman Ndiaye is one of the best technical players in the Premier League. He is a very good dribbler and I like that he can hold the ball under pressure as well.
“It is extremely important to keep him and he can still improve as well. There haven’t been too many rumours about Iliman Ndiaye yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he moves to a bigger club in a year or two.”
Iliman Ndiaye 2025/26 Premier League stats
Iliman Ndiaye 2026 World Cup stats
How important is Ndiaye to Everton?
It isn’t a stretch to say that Iliman Ndiaye is Everton’s best player at the moment. He is a phenomenal attacking player who can open up a tight backline with a simple drop of the shoulder, thanks to his brilliant movement and dribbling ability, as highlighted by Saha.
He’s also very adaptable, something that is becoming more and more important in the modern game. He thrives on both wings, given his ambidextrousness, but can also play as an attacking midfielder just as effectively. If necessary, he can also be fielded as an out-and-out striker.
If Everton do have to sell him, he must be replaced immediately. Without him, they will be without one of their best goalscoring and creative outlets. David Moyes’ teams often struggle to score goals, so this could present a major problem.
It isn’t difficult to see why he has become so popular within the Toffees’ fanbase. It remains to be seen if he can make the step up to a club in the big six, but we’d certainly back him to succeed.