Ndiaye: Joining Man City Was a Chance I Couldn't Refuse

Manchester City’s new player Iliman Ndiaye has shared that he could not refuse the chance to join the Premier League champions. He mentioned that playing Champions League football was a big reason for his move.

The 26-year-old completed a £60 million transfer from Everton to City on the final day of the transfer window. This happened after Tottenham looked like they would sign him.

Tottenham had a deal in place with Everton, but the transfer fell through when they could not sell Richarlison. City made a late move for Ndiaye, and he expressed his happiness when the chance came.

According to BBC Sport on Monday, Ndiaye said, “There was no stress or panicking. I always say whatever comes, comes. God decides your future, it is already written.”

He added, “I was just being patient and when City came through I was buzzing. It was always going to be City. I wanted Champions League and playing at one of the best teams in the world. I am not saying Tottenham is not, but when Manchester City comes through you don’t say no.”

Ndiaye started in his first match for City, helping them win 1-0 against Coventry in the Premier League over the weekend. The forward admitted it was tough to leave Everton after building a strong bond with the supporters and players there during his two years with the club.

“It was difficult to leave Everton. I created a great connection with the fans and the players there, but we have to move on sometimes and it’s how football is,” he said.

Ndiaye joined Everton from Marseille for £15 million in 2024. He scored 17 goals while at the club and was well-liked by fans, even though Everton finished in the lower half of the Premier League in both seasons.

The Senegal international has traveled an interesting path in his career. He started in non-league football with Boreham Wood and later moved to Hyde United, which is just seven miles from City’s Etihad Stadium, seven years ago.

He played for Sheffield United in the Championship and spent a season at Marseille before making the move to Everton. Now, Ndiaye feels that joining City is the biggest step in his career.

“I don’t really look back. I just look to the future and work hard. I never stop,” he said. “I just look at the next step and this is a big step to join Manchester City. It is one of the biggest clubs in the world. There are world-class players, world-class stadium and the fans are brilliant. This is where I think I belong. I have worked hard to get to this point.”