Just weeks after his huge move to the Etihad Stadium, Senegalese star Iliman Ndiaye has hinted at a return to his former club. The bombshell comes only days after Manchester City were found guilty in the financial fair play case.
City announced the signing of the international forward from Everton at the start of last September, handing him a five-year contract in a deal worth 60 million pounds plus 5 million in add-ons. They snatched him from under the nose of Tottenham Hotspur.
A love letter to Marseille
Yet Ndiaye, who left Olympique Marseille three years ago, has thrown open the door to a surprise return to the south of France.
Speaking to French newspaper "La Provence", he fuelled the speculation. "The chants of the Marseille fans calling for me to return? I'm happy to hear them," he said.
Then came the teaser: "I don't think the story is over, but we'll see. I'm just saying I don't know where things will lead me, but we'll see anyway."
The player clearly feels he has unfinished business at the Vélodrome. He spent the 2023/24 season there after arriving from Sheffield United, before moving to Everton just a year later.
His Marseille numbers read 4 goals and 5 assists in 46 matches. He helped the team reach the Europa League semi-finals, though it proved a disappointing campaign domestically. They finished eighth and failed to qualify for Europe.
Suspicious timing
Why now? The timing raises plenty of question marks. On Tuesday the Premier League announced that Manchester City had been found guilty of all the charges against them in the financial fair play breaches case. City have lodged an appeal.
Ndiaye has featured in 4 matches across all competitions since his arrival, including two Premier League starts against Coventry City and Sunderland. He is yet to score or provide an assist.
A fiery away test awaits City at Liverpool on Sunday 11 October, their first match after the international break and the first since the official guilty verdict. Three days later, they host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.