Iliman Ndiaye responds directly to Everton exit speculation – ‘I want to’
Everton star Iliman Ndiaye was the subject of constant interest in the winter transfer window.
Manchester United were linked with Ndiaye, with the Red Devils reportedly weighing up a “mammoth” offer for his services.
The speculation is nothing new, with the likes of Inter Milan and Tottenham showing interest in the Senegal ace in the summer, but the Blues were not willing to sanction a move.
However, it appears that Ndiaye is in no rush to leave Hill Dickinson Stadium after his most recent comments on a potential exit.
What did Ndiaye say about Everton exit links?
Ndiaye has been brilliant for Everton this season, so it is no surprise that big teams want to add him to their ranks and take him away from David Moyes’ side.
It looks like the 25-year-old is content on Merseyside, though, as he has directly responded to talk about his plans for the future.
In an interview with The Times on 6 February, he said: “I see it. I’m not that type of person to just go on X or Instagram because I’m a chill person. I’m calm. Football can take you anywhere. If, like you said, there’s these teams that are interested, it means that you’re doing something good.
“As long as I’m at Everton, I’ll always give my best for them, and I want to achieve things with Everton, starting with this season and getting into Europe.”
Why Everton cannot sanction Ndiaye sale
Everton cannot lose Ndiaye, it is as simple as that, he is far too good and would be too hard to find an alternative for.
He is the type of player that they should be building the squad around, rather than selling him and having to bring in a replacement, who is not guaranteed to have the same success.
The former Marseille man has scored 15 goals in all competitions across the last two seasons, while also providing two assists for his teammates in blue.
| Stats | Ndiaye |
| Matches | 57 |
| Goals | 15 |
| Assists | 2 |
The Blues, if they are trying to challenge for the European places, need to be adding more quality, rather than losing one of their best players.
Obviously, given the position that they are in, it is hard to keep their stars, but they have to fight tooth and nail to have Ndiaye stay.
They should offer him a new contract, with a heavy wage increase, to ward off potential interest from interested parties, and end the speculation surrounding his future.
Keeping him around would be a huge statement of intent, and prove that the Friedkin Group are serious about taking the Toffees into the upper echelons of the division and getting into European football on a regular basis.