Everton have done the sensible thing here, which is also the ruthless thing: they have looked at Iliman Ndiaye, looked at the market, and decided that £70million is the number that matters. Not sentiment. Not nostalgia. Not the fact they paid £15million only two years ago. £70million.
That is a serious valuation for a 26-year-old who has impressed across two seasons on Merseyside and is now attracting interest from Manchester United and Al-Hilal. It is also a very clear signal that Everton are in no rush to be pushed around. If anyone wants Ndiaye, they will have to pay for the privilege.
A price that changes the conversation
The fee changes everything. A player signed from Marseille for £15million does not suddenly become a bargain-bin exit candidate because bigger clubs have noticed him. Ndiaye has earned the right to be taken seriously, and Everton are acting like a club that knows it.
That matters because this is not a throwaway valuation designed to end the conversation. It is the kind of number that tells suitors what Everton think they are dealing with: a forward who has delivered, not a short-term curiosity. Manchester United are said to want a left winger, though that search is not described as one of their most pressing problems. Al-Hilal, meanwhile, are aware of the situation, but no club-to-club talks have taken place.
In other words, this is still a market, not a move. And Everton have made sure they are the ones setting the terms.
Ndiaye has given Everton reasons to stand firm
The interesting part is that Ndiaye has also said the right things for a player with ambition. Before the World Cup, he made it clear that he wants to play Champions League football. He was blunt about the level he wants to reach, saying he wants to be the best player and to do that he has to play at the top.
That does not automatically mean he is about to force an exit. It does mean Everton are dealing with a player whose ceiling is easy to understand and whose ambitions are not going to be hidden away. He started one of Senegal's four games at the World Cup as they reached the last 32, which only adds to the sense that this is a forward moving in the right direction.
For Everton, the calculation is brutally simple. He has 71 appearances, 17 goals and three assists behind him, and three years left on his contract. That is not the profile of a player they need to sell cheaply, if at all.
So if Al-Hilal or Manchester United want a deal, the opening line is already public: around £70million. Everton have made the first move, and it is a firm one.
