Iliman Ndiaye Explains Why He Chose Manchester City Over Tottenham in Deadline-Day Transfer
Iliman Ndiaye has explained the main reason behind his decision to join Manchester City after Tottenham Hotspur were strongly linked with a move for the Everton star.
The Senegal international completed a dramatic Deadline Day transfer to the Etihad Stadium, with Manchester City stepping in to secure his signature despite Tottenham’s interest.
Spurs had reportedly identified Ndiaye as one of their main attacking targets after failing in their pursuit of Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo. However, Manchester City moved quickly and reached an agreement with Everton worth £60 million upfront, with another £5 million potentially coming in add-ons.
The deal brought an end to Tottenham’s hopes of signing the talented attacker, as Ndiaye instead chose to continue his career with the Premier League giants.
Speaking after completing his move to Manchester City, Ndiaye made it clear that the opportunity to join the club was simply too good to turn down.
According to the forward, City’s recent success and the direction of their new project played a major role in convincing him to make the move.
Ndiaye explained that once Manchester City showed serious interest, his decision became straightforward. He was impressed by the club’s ambitions and the plans that were presented to him, particularly regarding the role he could play in the team.
The former Everton star revealed that Manchester City had spoken to him about their vision for the future and what they believed the team could achieve with him as part of the squad.
That conversation immediately caught his attention, and he admitted that joining City quickly became his only real focus.
Ndiaye insisted that he had no other destination in mind once the Etihad club entered the race for his signature.
The attacker believes he can fit perfectly into Manchester City’s new project and is now looking forward to beginning the next chapter of his career.
For Ndiaye, the transfer represents a huge moment after working hard to reach the highest level of English football.
He expressed his excitement and gratitude for the opportunity, describing the move as an incredible step in his career and admitting that he cannot wait to get started.
Manchester City’s signing of Ndiaye was one of the major stories of Deadline Day, with the club successfully beating Tottenham to the player’s signature in a deal that could eventually be worth £65 million.
The move also came during a busy final day of the transfer window for City, who were involved in several major deals as they continued to reshape their squad.
Meanwhile, Tottenham were left searching for alternative options after missing out on Ndiaye.
Spurs had hoped to strengthen their attacking department, but Manchester City’s late move changed the situation and forced the north London club to look elsewhere before the window closed.
Tottenham were subsequently linked with a move for Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk as they explored other possibilities to reinforce their squad.
In the end, Ndiaye’s message made one thing very clear: when Manchester City came calling, he did not need much time to decide.
Despite Tottenham’s interest, the Senegalese star was convinced by City’s history, ambitions and plans for the future, making the Etihad Stadium his preferred destination and bringing an end to Spurs’ hopes of completing the transfer.
Ndiaye has now begun a new chapter at Manchester City, while Tottenham must move forward after seeing one of their reported transfer targets choose a different path on one of the most dramatic days of the summer window.
