Manchester City waited until the final breath of the window, then tore up Tottenham’s script.
With Spurs closing in on Iliman Ndiaye as their late attacking solution, City stepped in on deadline day and walked away with the Everton forward, agreeing a £65m deal that underlined their financial power and their pull. An initial £60m fee, plus £5m in potential add-ons, was enough to end the chase for everyone else.
Tottenham had turned to the Senegal international after failing to prise Cody Gakpo from Liverpool. Gakpo had been on City’s radar as well, but once it became clear Spurs were moving for Ndiaye, the champions accelerated. The hesitation belonged to others; the decisive move came from the Etihad.
For Ndiaye, the choice barely felt like a choice at all.
“It’s easy to make the decision about whether you want to be at Manchester City or not,” the 26-year-old said after signing. “You can see the recent history; you want to be part of that project.”
City’s hierarchy sold him the vision in a matter of conversations. The message was clear: this was not just about joining a winning machine, but about becoming a key piece in what comes next.
“They talked to me about where we could go, what we could achieve with me in the team, and I was interested from the beginning,” he explained. “There was nothing else that I wanted other than joining Manchester City.”
The forward spoke like a player who knows he is stepping into the prime of his career and into the most demanding environment in English football. He sounded hungry, not daunted.
“Obviously, you want to be part of this new project. I’ve seen recently what they’ve been doing, and I feel like I will fit right in it,” he said. “I’m super excited to start. It’s an unbelievable moment. I’ve worked so hard to get to this point and I’m super excited and really grateful for this opportunity.”
His arrival alone would have been a headline. City did not stop there.
Enzo Fernandez joins in record-equalling deal
On the same frantic day, City also completed the £125m signing of Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea, a monumental fee that equals the British transfer record. It is a deal that sends a message to the rest of the league: the champions are not easing off, they are rearming.
For Fernandez, it is a reunion as well as a step up. The Argentina midfielder links back up with Enzo Maresca, the coach who knows his rhythm, his range and his temperament. For Maresca, it is a statement of trust from above. For City’s rivals, it is another problem to solve.
Two major signings, two different profiles, one clear theme: City have refreshed both their midfield and their forward line in a single, ruthless late push.
Spurs left scrambling after double blow
On the other side of the story sit Tottenham, forced to rip up their own plans in the final hours.
They had chased Gakpo. They pivoted to Ndiaye. They lost both, first to Liverpool’s resolve, then to City’s clout. By the time Ndiaye chose the Etihad, Spurs were staring at a shrinking market and an unforgiving clock.
So they went back to a familiar hunting ground: Stamford Bridge.
In a rapid piece of business, Tottenham secured a loan deal for Mykhailo Mudryk from Chelsea before the deadline, reuniting the winger with Roberto De Zerbi, under whom he shone at Shakhtar Donetsk. It was a move born of necessity but not without intrigue; De Zerbi knows how to unlock Mudryk’s pace and chaos.
City, meanwhile, walk away from the window with Ndiaye and Fernandez in their armoury, their squad deeper and sharper than it was a week ago. Spurs leave with a talented but still unproven Premier League winger and the memory of a late-window battle they could not win.
The season will reveal whether this deadline-day power play simply widened the gap at the top, or gave Tottenham just enough ammunition to chase it down.
