Iliman Ndiaye reveals why he chose Man City over Tottenham as Etihad giants confirm dramatic £65m transfer deadline day hijack to sign Everton forward

City successfully hijacked Tottenham's bid to sign Ndiaye on the final day of the transfer window. The Etihad outfit agreed a £65m deal with Everton, comprising an initial £60m fee alongside £5m in potential add-ons, according to The Athletic.

Spurs had initially pivoted to the Senegal international after failing to land Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo, a player who had also drawn interest from City. Ultimately, the Manchester club moved swiftly to secure Ndiaye's signature and reinforce their attacking ranks.

Speaking after finalising his move, the 26-year-old forward emphasised how simple it was to choose the Etihad outfit over other suitors. "It’s easy to make the decision about whether you want to be at Manchester City or not," Ndiaye stated. "You can see the recent history; you want to be part of that project."

He added that discussions with the club's hierarchy convinced him immediately. "They talked to me about where we could go, what we could achieve with me in the team, and I was interested from the beginning," he explained. "There was nothing else that I wanted other than joining Manchester City."

The new signing expressed his eagerness to begin this new chapter, highlighting his determination to succeed. "Obviously, you want to be part of this new project. I’ve seen recently what they’ve been doing, and I feel like I will fit right in it," he said. "I’m super excited to start. It’s an unbelievable moment. I’ve worked so hard to get to this point and I’m super excited and really grateful for this opportunity.”

Ndiaye's arrival capped off an extraordinary end to the window for Manchester City. Alongside the Everton forward, the club officially completed the £125m signing of Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez. The monumental deal equals the British transfer record and reunites the Argentine with manager Enzo Maresca.

Meanwhile, Tottenham were forced to look for rapid reinforcements after missing out on both Gakpo and Ndiaye. The north London club quickly pivoted their focus back to Stamford Bridge, successfully finalising a loan deal for Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk before the deadline to reunite the former Shakhtar Donetsk winger with Roberto De Zerbi.

Manchester City will now focus on seamlessly integrating their £190m deadline-day duo into the first-team squad. With both Ndiaye and Fernandez secured, Maresca possesses formidable squad depth to deploy across all competitions. Spurs, meanwhile, must quickly bed Mudryk into their tactical setup as they look to move past a frustrating conclusion to their transfer window and kickstart their Premier League campaign after suffering defeats in the two opening matches.