Tottenham Join Race for Everton Star Ndiaye

Tottenham have muscled into the race for Everton star Ndiaye, turning an already intriguing transfer saga into a full-scale Premier League power struggle.

The North London club, already past the £300 million mark in this window, are not easing off. Under Roberto De Zerbi, Spurs have torn into the market with intent, reshaping the squad at pace. Omar Marmoush is in. Savio has arrived from Manchester City. Yet De Zerbi still wants more firepower out wide.

Cody Gakpo had been the name circling around Tottenham for weeks. That noise has quietened. Attention has swung firmly to Ndiaye, the Senegal international who has grown into one of Everton’s standout performers at Goodison Park, as first reported by Foot Mercato.

And Spurs are not alone.

City and Arsenal have both been tracking the 26-year-old closely, turning this into a three-way chase between clubs who expect to define the top end of the table. For City, Ndiaye is viewed as a possible solution after recent departures in attacking areas. For Arsenal and Spurs, it is about adding one more cutting edge in wide zones to tilt tight games.

De Zerbi did little to cool speculation when he spoke on Friday.

"I didn’t expect a transfer window like we have done," he admitted. "I think we can do one player more in one specific position. Yesterday we went to dinner with the owners, Johan [Lange, sporting director] and Vinai [Venkatesham, chief executive] and we spoke about this. All of us are on the same page and a very good connection."

That comment landed like a flare over the market. Tottenham, despite the outlay, are not done.

Ndiaye’s future has been a live issue all summer. At one stage he looked set to trade Merseyside for the Saudi Pro League, with Al-Hilal widely reported to be closing in on a deal before the move collapsed late on after a change of heart from the player. His decision to stay in England reopened the door for the Premier League’s elite.

Now, his stance is clear: he wants to remain in the division. That has emboldened the likes of City and Spurs, who see a Premier League-proven wide attacker entering his peak years.

Everton, though, hold the cards.

The club have put a huge £80 million price tag on Ndiaye, a valuation designed to scare off opportunists and leave only the most committed bidders at the table. With his contract running until the summer of 2029, there is no ticking clock forcing their hand, even after Ndiaye turned down fresh terms.

David Moyes, speaking on Friday, was adamant Everton are not preparing to cash in.

"We’re certainly not in a hurry to sell our best players, that’s for sure," he said. "As far as I know, we’ve got nothing to be concerned about, we’ve had no contact from any club. Somebody told me we had contact with Al-Hilal during the summer, we had nothing from them."

Everton’s stance is blunt: pay the premium or look elsewhere.

Tottenham’s need, City’s planning, Arsenal’s ambition and Ndiaye’s own desire to stay in the Premier League are now pulling in different directions. Something will have to give before the window shuts.