David Moyes has drawn a clear line through the Iliman Ndiaye noise around Everton. Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, he said: "The first thing I would say is I’m certainly not encouraging a bid, that’s for sure. I’m not encouraging that in a million years." Tuesday is the deadline in this story, and the club are trying to keep the window from turning into a late sale chain.

Moyes' pushback on Ndiaye

The strongest reason Everton are digging in is simple. Ndiaye is under contract for a further three years, and his start has already shown enough to make him a poor candidate for a quick exit. He has one goal involvement in two Premier League appearances, a small return in raw terms but a sharp one for a player who has barely settled in.

Everton have already shown they are willing to stop a sale when the mood turns. They pulled the plug on talks to sell Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest after supporter outrage at Bournemouth. That decision gives Moyes some cover here, and it also explains why a bid for Ndiaye is not being welcomed quietly.

Tottenham, Richarlison and Grealish

Tottenham are said to be pivoting towards Ndiaye after losing out on Cody Gakpo, which keeps the pressure on Everton. A move for Richarlison is also being discussed in the other direction, while Everton have remained in contact with Jack Grealish since he returned to Manchester City from his loan spell.

The rest of the deal picture is still messy. Richarlison has only one league appearance this season, and Grealish has one Premier League appearance and eight minutes this season, so neither name is being pushed by current output. That is the sort of deadline-day window Everton are operating in now, with one exit rumour touching several other moving parts.

The key point is still Moyes' line on Ndiaye, and it sits against a real push from Tottenham before Tuesday's deadline. Everton do not sound like a club preparing to accept the first serious bid, and the next few hours will decide whether that stance holds.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →