Manchester City are said to be closing in on a mammoth £200m double swoop that would leave Everton frustrated while working out perfectly for Tottenham.
Pep Guardiola’s side have offloaded far more players than they’ve brought in so far this summer, but with the window edging toward its final stretch, City are expected to ramp up their spending. Their two big targets are Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye and Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, in deals reportedly worth around £200m combined.
On Ndiaye, City are said to be pushing hard, with an £80m bid in the works. A Jack Grealish swap has also entered the conversation, given his impressive loan spell at Goodison Park last season — Everton are reportedly open to bringing him back permanently as part of any Ndiaye package. The Senegalese international is understood to have turned down interest from two Saudi clubs, including Al-Hilal, preferring to stay in the Premier League, and City’s existing ties with his camp are said to be smoothing the path toward a deal.
Should City land Ndiaye, it could ripple through the wider winger market in Tottenham’s favour. City have also been linked with Pedro Neto and Cody Gakpo as alternatives, but signing Ndiaye would likely take them out of the running for the Liverpool man. That’s music to Spurs’ ears, as they’re already pushing to bring Gakpo in as part of their attacking overhaul and have reportedly agreed personal terms with him — Liverpool are just waiting to sort their own wide-forward business before letting him leave.
The other prong of City’s plan is a move for Fernandez. The Argentine is said to have given his blessing to a switch to the Etihad, where he’d link back up with former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca. His omission from Chelsea’s League Cup squad against Luton has only added fuel to the rumours. City are reportedly in daily dialogue with his representatives and are preparing to open direct talks with Chelsea, who want around £120m for their midfielder but are keen to line up a replacement first. If Chelsea can’t find one before deadline day, Fernandez could yet stay put.
