This summer, Pep Guardiola no longer manages Manchester City. But with Enzo Maresca at the helm, the English club has not changed its habits. The residents of the Etihad Stadium have once again pulled out all the stops in the transfer window. So, they did not hesitate to drop €100 million to afford the young and promising Ayyoub Bouaddi. Before that, they paid almost €135m to snatch Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. Geronimo Rulli cost much less. Around €3.5 million.
On the other hand, the Mancuniens knew that they would still have to put their hands in their wallets to afford final reinforcements. In the midfield, it was Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea) who was the priority after the departure of Rodri to Barça. For him, €140 million was necessary to make the Blues fold, and the deal should also be announced in the evening. Regarding the offensive sector, City wanted to get their hands on an additional element after the departures of Savinho and Omar Marmoush to Tottenham.
From Liverpool to Manchester
The path leading to Iliman Ndiaye (Everton, 26 years old) has been explored, as has that leading to Cody Gakpo (Liverpool, 27 years old). If the Dutchman was in the lead for a while, the Reds finally closed the door on his transfer. Which left the field open to the former OM, seduced by the Mancunian project. Also courted by Tottenham, Ndiaye finally said yes to Man City, who paid 75 million euros to offer him.
Once all the details were settled, his transfer was made official today. “Manchester City are delighted to announce the signing of Iliman Ndiaye on a five-year contract. The 26-year-old Senegalese international arrives at the Etihad Stadium with significant experience in the Premier League after two years at Everton. Accustomed to playing in England, Ndiaye will therefore embark on a new adventure in sky blue.
