Iliman Ndiaye of Everton celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Everton at Stadium of Light on November 03, 2025 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)placeholder image
Iliman Ndiaye of Everton celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Everton at Stadium of Light on November 03, 2025 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Man United have been linked to signing Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye in the summer transfer window.
Man United will head into the summer transfer window with a lot to think about. So far, they don’t know who their manager will be, but they also don’t know what the future of Bruno Fernandes holds.
The Man United captain’s contract is due to expire at the end of next season, meaning if they want to sell him for a financial return, they need to either sell him this summer or sign him to a new contract.
Man United should sign Atletico Madrid star Baena instead
There is no denying that Ndiaye is a fantastic talent. The Senegalese attacker has excelled for Everton in both goal scoring and chance creation, which is similar to the impact that Fernandes has on Man United.
However, £70m is a very steep price, especially considering that Man United are expected to spend around £100m on a new holding midfielder in the summer too, which will drive up their expenses. There is a player in La Liga whose stats are better than Ndiaye’s, but he is a very similar player in terms of style.
Using Data MB’s Player Comparison Tool, Ndiaye’s data this season matches up very well to Atletico Madrid winger Alex Baena. The 24-year-old joined from Villarreal for a fee of £37m in the summer, and he has since impressed under manager Diego Simeone.
The data shows that Baena has outperformed Ndiaye in terms of non-penalty goals, assists and crossing numbers. He matches up the same in terms of ball carrying, but is slightly behind Ndiaye in terms of expected goals.
Baena is a Spanish international who can play as either a left-winger, right-winger or attacking midfielder. Alongside Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, the 24-year-old could help to replace Fernandes’ creativity, and he could be a bargain considering his cost in comparison to Ndiaye.
Michael Owen says replacing Fernandes is impossible
As the rumours of a potential Fernandes exit grow, former Man United forward Michael Owen has spoken out, saying that it will be virtually impossible for the Red Devils to replace the Portuguese midfielder, but he can see why United would want to cash in at this stage.
He said: “It’s a real tricky one because he is so good, you can understand if massive money comes for somebody of that age, why it could be something that Manchester United would look at. If there’s going to be massive money that comes in, then it’s got to be a decision to be made. He’s obviously on big wages as well.
“But if he goes, it’s going to hit them hard. They’ll have to replace him with somebody good. Trying to replace him would be nigh on impossible. So it’s watch this space, really, but it’s a bit of a conundrum for everybody involved.”
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