Tottenham Hotspur have thrown their weight behind one of the summer’s most intriguing transfer sagas, muscling into the chase for Everton forward Ndiaye and turning an already complex story into a full-blown Premier League tug-of-war.
Spurs, already past the £300 million mark in this window, are not easing off. Under Roberto De Zerbi, the North London club have been tearing up and rebuilding their attacking options, and they are still not satisfied. Omar Marmoush is in. Savio has arrived from Manchester City. Yet De Zerbi wants one more wide attacker of real pedigree to complete his frontline.
For weeks, Cody Gakpo looked like the chosen one. That line has gone cold. The spotlight has swung sharply onto Ndiaye, the Senegal international who has grown into one of the most electrifying threats at Goodison Park, as first reported by Foot Mercato.
A three-club fight at the top
Tottenham’s move does not come in isolation. It drops them straight into a three-way battle with Manchester City and Arsenal, both of whom have been tracking the 26-year-old’s situation closely.
City see Ndiaye as a potential answer to the departures that have thinned out their attacking depth. Arsenal, always alert to a market opportunity in their own weight class, have kept him firmly on their radar. Now Spurs, flush from heavy investment and emboldened by De Zerbi’s backing, have stepped onto the same stage.
De Zerbi himself made no attempt to hide that he still wants more.
“I didn’t expect a transfer window like we have done,” he said on Friday. “I think we can do one player more in one specific position. Yesterday we went to dinner with the owners, Johan [Lange, sporting director] and Vinai [Venkatesham, chief executive] and we spoke about this. All of us are on the same page and a very good connection.”
It was a rare, open confirmation from a head coach that the door remains wide open for another big deal. For rivals, it sounded like a warning. For agents and selling clubs, it sounded like opportunity.
From Saudi brink to Premier League scramble
Ndiaye’s summer has already taken one dramatic turn. At one stage, he looked set to disappear into the Saudi Pro League gold rush. Al-Hilal appeared close to an agreement, with reports suggesting a deal was nearly over the line before the player pulled back.
That U-turn changed everything.
His decision to stay in the Premier League did not just keep him in the shop window. It dragged him to the centre of it. The league’s elite, sensing a top-level attacker still available and in his prime, moved quickly. City’s interest hardened. Arsenal’s monitoring continued. Now Spurs, with a clear vacancy on the flank and a manager obsessed with high-tempo, high-risk football, have joined the queue.
Everton dig in
Everton, though, are not playing the role of helpless seller.
The club have placed a towering £80 million valuation on Ndiaye, a figure designed to test the resolve of even the richest sides. With the Senegalese forward tied down until the summer of 2029, the Toffees are under no immediate pressure to cash in, even after Ndiaye turned down a new contract offer.
They know exactly what they have. They also know what it would cost to replace him.
David Moyes, back in charge at Goodison and already braced for a tense end to the window, struck a firm tone when asked about the interest swirling around his star man.
“We’re certainly not in a hurry to sell our best players, that’s for sure,” he said on Friday. “As far as I know, we’ve got nothing to be concerned about, we’ve had no contact from any club. Somebody told me we had contact with Al-Hilal during the summer, we had nothing from them.”
No panic. No public invitations to bid. Just a clear message: if anyone wants Ndiaye, they will have to come hard and come high.
What happens next
So the stage is set. Tottenham, already deep into record-breaking expenditure, are still hunting that final piece for De Zerbi’s attack. Manchester City and Arsenal remain in the background, watching, calculating, ready to move if the numbers and timing suit them.
Everton hold the contract and the leverage. Ndiaye holds the talent and, crucially, the desire to stay in England.
Somewhere between those positions lies the truth of his value. The only question now is which of these heavyweights is willing to pay it before the window slams shut.
