Iliman Ndiaye to Manchester City: the remarkable transformation from Marseille flop to £65m signing

Sold by Marseille in 2024 following a disappointing season, Iliman Ndiaye is set to join Manchester City for £60m. A trajectory that raises questions.

Subject to his medical, scheduled for Tuesday, and the signing of his contract before the English transfer window closes, Iliman Ndiaye is set to join Manchester City.

The Manchester club has reached an agreement with Everton worth around £60m million, plus roughly £4.3 million in add-ons, making for a deal that could reach £65m for the 26-year-old Senegal international.

This dramatic operation came together at speed, following a genuine domino effect across the market. Tottenham had initially held the upper hand, thanks to an agreement in principle, but the deal collapsed after Richarlison refused to return to the Toffees.

Manchester City then seized the opportunity, activating this move after coming up short in their pursuit of Cody Gakpo, with Liverpool firmly rejecting an offer worth around £80m.

A Marseille environment that stifled him

For Marseille, this blockbuster transfer is far from a minor footnote. Signed for close to £14.5m in 2023, the Senegalese forward was sold on a year later for £16m, with add-ons that could push the deal closer to £17m. Having taken care to retain 10 per cent of any future sell-on profit, the French club's hierarchy will now collect a cheque worth around £4.3 million.

His single season on the Canebiere, which ended with four goals and five assists in 46 appearances, has carried the label of a flop.

That assessment, however, deserves nuance. Iliman Ndiaye's spell at Marseille was marked by output far below what he had previously shown at Sheffield United. The forward mainly fell victim to a chaotic 2023-24 campaign, disrupted by repeated changes of manager and system.

Shuffled between the wing, a supporting role and a central position, he suffered from a glaring lack of consistency, weighed down by the pressure that came with returning to the club he supported as a boy.

Marseille's real mistake was not financial, but footballing: selling a player perfectly suited to the Premier League before he had found his true role.

Breakthrough at Everton, and vindication

Back in England, Ndiaye rediscovered all of his old ease on the ball. Everton gave him stability on the left flank, making full use of his ability to drive forward in transition. His statistics reflect that consistency: 15 goals in 67 league matches, nine in his first season and six the following campaign.

That change in status was also confirmed at international level. Already an important part of Senegal's attacking rotation, Ndiaye went on to play a major role in the country's 2025 AFCON triumph. He notably scored the qualifying goal against Mali in the quarter-final.

At Manchester City, Enzo Maresca sees him as far more than a simple rotation option. Faced with the departures of Savinho and Marmoush, and looking to address Jeremy Doku's fitness fragility, the manager was targeting an ambidextrous winger, dangerous in one-on-one situations and capable of fitting into a possession-based 4-3-3.

In the space of two years, Iliman Ndiaye has gone from a fallen prospect at Marseille to a marquee Manchester City signing, valued at roughly four times the price for which he was originally sold.