Marseille financial concern emerges as Everton set sights on signing Iliman Ndiaye in January transfer
Marseille are having to reduce their expenditure with Everton setting their sights on signing Iliman Ndiaye from them this month, according to L’Equipe.
The French newspaper reported via their website on 10 January that Marseille spent £123million on wages in the 2023/24 financial year, adding to their huge losses since American business Frank McCourt bought the Ligue 1 club in 2016.
It is understood that Marseille’s sporting director Pablo Longoria will need to charm the club’s American accountants in order to sign more players this month but “privately”, he has spoken about reducing the club’s wage bill.
L’Equipe claims that English clubs are eyeing a number of Marseille’s players and Everton are credited with an interest in 23-year-old forward Ndiaye, who was initially linked with a move to Goodison Park in the summer before he left Sheffield United to join the French club [Fabrizio Romano].
Do we need him?
Sean Dyche has made Everton a much better team in the last few months and while our form has dipped again, it’s hard to justify first-team additions when the club’s financial situation remains sketchy.
Even if 777 Partners complete their protracted takeover before the end of the January transfer window, which closes on 1 February, it won’t mean that Dyche and Kevin Thelwell will be able to go out there and spend whatever they want on whoever they want.
There’s still the worry of another sanction being placed on the club, even with the current appeal in place for the 10-point deduction we were dealt in November.
Ndiaye has struggled at Marseille since leaving South Yorkshire in the summer.
The talented Senegal international has scored only one goal in 23 appearances across all competitions.
He’s been in and out of the starting line-up, starting 10 times in Ligue 1 but also four out of six times in the club’s Europa League group.
Is he good enough for Everton? Yes, he probably is. But he’s not good enough to risk signing when there’s a far bigger picture that needs to be considered above all else.
In other Everton news, an agreement has been reached for this Goodison loanee to leave Merseyside.