Tottenham’s transfer window has taken yet another twist, with the club reportedly closing in on Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye as Roberto De Zerbi pushes ahead with his plan to overhaul the attack. Spurs have already splashed out on Omar Marmoush and Savio from Manchester City, and it seems their spending isn’t done yet. Interest in Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo has cooled, with focus switching across Merseyside to Ndiaye instead — word is a verbal agreement worth roughly £60 million is in place, alongside a separate deal for Richarlison to head back to Everton. Both moves still need personal terms and medicals sorted before anything’s official, but for Spurs fans it’s another clear signal of intent.
The 26-year-old Senegal international has been one of Everton’s standout performers despite the club’s wider struggles, chipping in six goals and three assists in 32 Premier League outings last season. His value goes well beyond the numbers though — he’s a real threat carrying the ball past defenders, and pulls his weight defensively too, averaging around 2.2 successful dribbles, six duels won, two tackles and nearly six recoveries per match. That blend of attacking spark and defensive graft is exactly the profile that could appeal to De Zerbi.
Ndiaye has mostly played on the right for Everton, but Tottenham could switch him to the left, potentially making him their first-choice option there. With Marmoush competing centrally and Savio likely on the right, Ndiaye causing problems from the left would give De Zerbi a front line bursting with variety — Ndiaye, Marmoush, Savio, Mathys Tel, Dominic Solanke, Mohammed Kudus and James Maddison all in the mix. On paper, it’s a seriously exciting group of attacking talent.
The trouble is results haven’t matched the ambition. Spurs have lost both their opening league games and sit bottom of the table with a -5 goal difference, a grim start given how much has been invested in rebuilding the squad. The owners have backed De Zerbi heavily to bring his footballing ideas to life, and now the pressure is on him to show it on the pitch, starting with the upcoming game against Nottingham Forest.
Adding Ndiaye would only strengthen the squad further, but transfers alone won’t fix what’s going wrong. The players are there — now it’s down to De Zerbi to turn a star-studded attack into a team that actually wins. Tottenham fans have every reason to be excited about what this front line could become, but that excitement will curdle into frustration fast if the results don’t start coming.
