Transfers
City's £80m chase fuels race with Arsenal as Alvarez stance emerges
At the Etihad, scouts huddle over footage as the clock ticks towards Tuesday’s 11 pm deadline, with Man City joining Arsenal in a race for an exciting £80 million attacker, and the Alvarez stance emerging as a key talking point in the transfer market.
City's summer spending and squad overhaul
Manchester City have already reshaped their squad this summer. After selling Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders, Savinho, Nico Gonzalez and James Trafford for significant fees, Enzo Maresca’s side have spent just shy of £200 million on midfield reinforcements Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi.
According to GiveMeSport transfer expert Ben Jacobs, City are now targeting Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye, who is valued at £80 million by the Toffees. Arsenal also monitor Ndiaye, but their primary ambition remains Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez.
Ndiaye's profile and potential fit
Ndiaye has started both of Everton’s 2026/27 league games and recorded an assist for Thierno Barry in last Saturday’s 2‑0 victory over Crystal Palace. His versatility allows him to operate on either wing, centrally or as a centre‑forward, giving Maresca multiple options in attack.
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Jack Grealish, who shared a loan spell with Ndiaye at Everton, said, “In terms of pure skill, yeah… he could be the best… but skilful.” He added that unlike Bukayo Saka or Jeremy Doku, Ndiaye does not need extra space to make an impact.
Maresca could rotate Ndiaye with Antoine Semenyo, Rayan Cherki or Jeremy Doku on the flanks, while Phil Foden or Cherki could occupy an attacking midfield role behind Erling Haaland. Such a configuration would give City a talented trio supporting Haaland in the quest for major honours.
REUTERS/Chris Radburn By Rob Guest PM GMT+1. Rob is a Football Writer for GiveMeSport with over 15 years’ experience, having started at Bradford Bulls Rugby League Club and York City Football Club after graduating with a BA in Sports Journalism in 2010. He later worked for the Press Association, the Football League Newspaper and football.london, where he hosted the Gold & Talk Tottenham podcast. Add Us Summary Generate Try Give GIVEMESPORT.