Manchester United keen on standout AFCON winner

Manchester United are keeping close tabs on Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye. Ndiaye has impressed since joining Everton in 2024, scoring 13 goals in 50 Premier League appearances for the club.

The Senegal international also played a big part in his country’s successful Africa Cup of Nations campaign this month. TEAMtalk has reported that United have sent scouts to monitor the player ahead of a potential summer move.

The 25-year-old would likely command a record fee for Everton, such is his importance to the side at the moment. Much could likely also depend on United’s long term manager appointment.

United have prioritized signing players with Premier League experience lately, with the additions of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo seen internally as proof of concept. The Red Devils’ recruitment team is looking to continue that trend, having also tracked Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba, and Adam Wharton from Nottingham Forest, Brighton, and Crystal Palace respectively.

United’s eventual managerial appointment could play a part in their approach to the next transfer window. Though Ndiaye remains a player admired by the United hierarchy, it is yet to be seen if a potential new manager’s tactical style of play would see the club pivot elsewhere.

A potential return to Champions League football next season would also bolster their financial power. Any move won’t come easily, as Everton rejected a £40m bid from Inter Milan for the player last summer.

The player’s profile has increased since then, and will likely do so once more after this summer’s World Cup. Ndiaye’s contract with the Toffees doesn’t expire until 2029, so Everton will be under no pressure to sell.

Everton have maintained that the player is not for sale, and would likely take some convincing to change their mind. It was United that was responsible for Everton’s record sale in July 2017, when the Red Devils spent £75m for Romelu Lukaku.

They would likely have to come close to that figure, if not exceed it, to prize Ndiaye away this time around.

Nadji is a football writer with over 10 years of experience covering the Premier League. His work has been featured on Football Fancast, Arsenal-Mania, and Arsenal.com, where he has built a reputation for delivering sharp analysis, engaging storytelling, and in-depth coverage of the game.