Iliman Ndiaye is drawing serious praise from two high-profile voices, and that has helped turn loose transfer chatter into something harder to ignore. Ruben Amorim called him an amazing player ahead of Everton's meeting with Manchester United in November last year, while Jack Grealish went even further and labelled him the most skilful player in the Premier League. Manchester United and Manchester City are now both being linked with the Everton forward.
Why the praise matters
Amorim's comments came before Everton's 1-0 win over Manchester United, a match they won despite playing most of it with 10 men after Idrissa Gana Gueye was dismissed for slapping Michael Keane. That makes the praise more striking, because it was not just a passing compliment in a routine setting. He singled out Ndiaye as an amazing player, and Grealish's view gives the same player endorsement from a current Premier League attacker.
Grealish's full assessment was especially strong. He said Ndiaye is "the most skilful player in the Premier League" and argued that he thrives in tight spaces. That fits the player Everton have used this season, a winger or forward who has six league goals and three assists and has already made 32 Premier League appearances. Those are not the numbers of a speculative link, they are the numbers of a regular contributor.
Why the move is being talked about
The Manchester interest is also not being pushed as a done deal. One line of reporting points to Manchester United wanting a left-sided attacker, while other reporting frames the interest more broadly around a versatile forward. Manchester City have been linked too, with the suggestion that Ndiaye could be a replacement option if Savinho leaves. City finished second in the Premier League with 78 points, while United finished third with 68, so both would be looking at him from a position of strength rather than desperation.
Everton's stance will matter as well. Ndiaye has three years remaining on his contract, and that gives the club room to negotiate from a firmer base than if he were entering the final year. Sebastien Vidal has also reported that the club value has been described differently across the pieces doing the rounds, with some language around a £60million rating and other reporting implying a more affordable route without fixing a number. For now, the safest read is simple: the quotes are real, the fit is plausible, and the price conversation is still fluid.
If one thing has changed here, it is the level of endorsement around Ndiaye. Amorim called him an amazing player, Grealish called him the most skilful in the league, and Everton have a forward who has produced six goals and three assists while attracting attention from both Manchester clubs. The next step is whether that praise turns into firmer bids as the summer market opens.
Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →