ndiaye-everton
And with that, have Arsenal's chances of securing a first-class wide player finally been extinguished?
The Gunners have tried incredibly hard to bolster their forward ranks this summer but Christos Tzolis remains the sole addition in that regard.
They won't get Bradley Barcola. He's set to sign for Liverpool for around £120m. They won't get Everton's Iliman Ndiaye either. He is ready to pen terms with Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth just £60m. Richarlison will go the other way for a £35m fee to sweaten the deal.
Barcola-France-World-Cup
Arsenal had been exploring a deal themselves but are clearly seeking alternatives instead.
Why Arsenal should have rivalled Spurs for Ndiaye
In the words of Arsenal content creator and writer Harvey Diamonds, Ndiaye is "one of the best left wingers in the Premier League".
For a fee of just £60m, therefore, the Gunners should have been in the conversation. After all, this is a player who, despite only scoring six times in 2025/26, would have elevated the floor of Arsenal's attack.
Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye
Sure, the north Londoners have wanted to sign an elite left winger and Ndiaye is not that, but given the lack of options on the market in the closing days of the window, Andrea Berta may well end up regretting turning his nose up at the idea of signing the Everton star.
As far as rivals for Tzolis go, there are not many better options out there. He might not score many but the former Sheffield United man did bag 11 in 2024/25. That's perfect output if you're hunting down a replacement for the Saudi-bound Gabriel Martinelli.
It's also important to note that Ndiaye is one of the best dribblers in world football too. Last season, the only player in the Premier League to register more than his tally of 70 dribbles was Manchester City's Jeremy Doku with 77.
The Senegalese was not just one of the best in English football at completing take-ons but he was also one of the finest on the entire continent. Compared to every player in Europe's top five leagues last term, he ranked seventh and was among some of the finest names on the globe for successful dribbles.
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Most dribbles in Europe's big leagues - 2025/26
Player
1) Lamine Yamal
2) Yan Diomande
3) Vinicius Junior
4) Kenan Yildiz
5) Jeremy Doku
6) Kylian Mbappe
7) Iliman Ndiaye
8) Yann Gboho
9) Victor Munoz
10) Antonio Nusa
To put those numbers into further context, Bukayo Saka was Arsenal's leading man for this metric, completed 50 dribbles in the Premier League. Noni Madueke was second best with 29 while Leandro Trossard tallied up 25.
In that regard, Ndiaye would have been a big upgrade for Arsenal. He's a true maverick and would have offered plenty. Alas, it would appear as though Mikel Arteta is happy with his existing options.
Arsenal close in on signing their own Ndiaye
Arteta may well be content with his options for now but behind the scenes, the Gunners have worked hard to improve their youth ranks.
Over the weekend, they confirmed the arrivals of 19-year-old James Scanlon from Manchester United, 16-year-old Axel Donczew from Cardiff City and 18-year-old Igor Tyjon from Blackburn Rovers.
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It continues a series of impressive captures at this level, with Arsenal also confirming pre-contract agreements to sign Ecuadorian twins Holger and Edwin Quintero towards the end of last year. They will join next summer when they turn 18.
Well, in a similar deal, Fabrizio Romano confirmed at the weekend that the Gunners have agreed a deal to sign another teenager, Andria Bartishvili from Kolkheti 1913.
Currently on loan at fellow Georgian side Iberia, Bartishvili is highly-rated and has been tracked by a number of clubs including Liverpool.
It is Arsenal who have won the race, however, with the 17-year-old set to undergo a medical this week. Like the Quintero twins, he will officially join in 2027 when he turns 18.
So, what is he all about? Well, according to the BBC's Sami Mokbel, he's already been described as "the next Khivcha Kvaratskhelia" and that's not just down to the fact they are both Georgian.
kvaratskhelia-psg
Indeed, like Kvaratskhelia and indeed the aforementioned Ndiaye, the teenager plays with rolled down socks, Jack Grealish style, and they both have the ability to evade challenges with ease. As with Ndiaye and his fellow countryman, Bartishvili is an incredible dribbler.
His close-touch control is mesmerising and he often bamboozles defenders with his ability to manipulate the ball in tight spaces.
Like Ndiaye, he's not an out and out winger either. While he's brilliantly adept at playing off the left, Bartishvili is also more than comfortable operating as an attacking midfielder.
This may not be the jaw-dropping elite winger that fans were craving but all of the signs suggest he could well reach that status in the forthcoming years.
Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez
Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez