Man City agree £65m Ndiaye deal, Spurs turn attention to Mudryk

Manchester City have moved swiftly to secure an alternative to Cody Gakpo, agreeing a £65m deal with Everton for winger Iliman Ndiaye as the transfer window enters its final hours. The move follows Liverpool’s rejection of City’s £80m bid for Gakpo on Monday, a decision that leaves Pep Guardiola’s side needing to act decisively before the deadline. With Tottenham now pivoting to Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk, the ripple effects of City’s pursuit are reshaping the Premier League’s closing-day dynamics.

City’s plan B becomes plan A

City’s pursuit of Gakpo stalled after Liverpool rebuffed their £80m offer, a setback that forced a rapid reassessment. The Etihad hierarchy turned instead to Everton’s Ndiaye, a player already on Spurs’ radar, and struck a deal worth £60m upfront with an additional £5m in performance-related bonuses. The agreement underscores City’s urgency to bolster their attacking options before the window shuts, with Guardiola having already allowed Savio and Omar Marmoush to leave for Tottenham earlier in the month.

City’s need for a winger has grown more acute after Bernardo Silva’s departure to Real Madrid and Rodri’s exit to Barcelona. The absence of a natural wide forward was evident in Friday’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace, when Guardiola fielded Phil Foden—who Maresca admitted is not a winger—on the flank at Selhurst Park. Ndiaye’s arrival provides an immediate solution, though his integration will depend on Everton’s willingness to finalise the paperwork before midnight.

Spurs’ shift to Mudryk exposes Chelsea’s fragility

Tottenham’s initial target was Gakpo, but after City’s approach was rebuffed, Spurs pivoted to Ndiaye. When Richarlison’s indecision over a move to Everton stalled those talks, Spurs redirected their focus to Chelsea’s Mudryk, entering formal discussions for a loan arrangement. The move highlights Chelsea’s defensive vulnerabilities in midfield, with Enzo Fernández left out of their last two matches—a Carabao Cup defeat to Luton and a Premier League loss to Brighton—amid reports of unrest in the dressing room.

Chelsea’s own transfer activity has been erratic this window. Fernández, signed from Benfica for £107m in 2023, remains a target for City, who have opened direct talks with Chelsea to sign the Argentine midfielder. City’s interest persists despite missing Chelsea’s August 14 deadline to table a bid, a deadline that had been agreed with Fernández’s representatives on the basis of a £120m valuation. Reinforcing midfield has become a priority after Rodri’s departure, with City also completing the £86m signing of teenage prodigy Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille.

Sunderland’s late move for Danso

In a parallel transfer saga, Sunderland have reached an agreement in principle with Tottenham to sign defender Anthony Danso, a deal that could provide Gus Poyet’s side with defensive stability as they push for promotion. The move follows Spurs’ recent activity in the transfer market, including Savio’s debut in their Carabao Cup thrashing of Charlton Athletic, where he scored and assisted in a 5-1 win. The contrast between Spurs’ attacking firepower and Sunderland’s defensive reinforcements underscores the Premier League’s contrasting narratives as the window closes.

City’s double pursuit of Ndiaye and Fernández reflects a clear strategy: address their wide and central midfield deficiencies before the deadline. The Ndiaye deal, if completed, will give Guardiola the creative outlet he craves, while the Fernández talks signal a longer-term fix in midfield. For Spurs, the shift to Mudryk represents a gamble on a player whose Chelsea future remains uncertain, but one who could provide the attacking impetus they need. As the clock ticks down, the final hours promise more twists—with every club now playing for keeps.

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