Everton avoid £25m+ January transfer blunder after Iliman Ndiaye form dips
The Star reported on 31 January that Everton made a last-ditch attempt to sign Sheffield United star Iliman Ndiaye in a deal worth around £25m+ add-ons.
Since then, Ndiaye has suffered a massive dip in form and has only found the back of the net once in his 15 appearances since the FIFA World Cup.
Ndiaye’s Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom confessed on 16 February that the promising attacker’s goals had “dried up”.
“No, listen. His games have been good, it’s just the goals have dried up for him,” said Heckingbottom as quoted by The Star. (16 February)
Ndiaye scored nine goals in the first half of the season but it seems the Blues have got out of this one unscathed and with £25m still in the bank.
Potential disaster.
Ndiaye is evidently a fine talent but what Everton needs and craves right now are goals and the fact his fruitful spell has dried up suggests he wouldn’t have delivered for the Toffees post-World Cup.
Despite there being an uproar over the lack of investment in January, spending millions on players who wouldn’t perform is just as bad business.
Especially if recent Toffees transfers are anything to go by, the Blues should consider themselves fortunate that they lost out on signing the Senegal international.
Confidence and form are everything in the modern game, even more so when you’re at the bottom of the Premier League table and needing goals.
The weight of expectation from Evertonians would have likely been too much for Ndiaye to handle by the looks of things.
A move for an attacking asset who is tried and tested in either the English top flight or Europe is the route the Blues need to go down in future windows.