Everton ‘confident’ of keeping ‘phenomenal’ player from Arsenal’s clutches
Everton have endured a mixed start to the Premier League season so far despite initially holding lofty ambitions of pushing up the table.
David Moyes’ side lost 2-0 to Man City last time out after a brace from Erling Haaland which handed them their second defeat of the season.
The Toffees currently sit in 12th place after eight games, with three wins, two draws and three defeats on their record, and are on track to finish in mid-table.
However, a number of their star players have received high acclaim from pundits, fans and neutrals, and speculation is ramping up ahead of the January transfer window.
Among their most impressive players are Jarrad Branthwaite, who has attracted interest from Man United and Liverpool, while Jack Grealish’s performances have been applauded.
Everton confident of keeping Iliman Ndiaye
Pat Nevin warned Everton will have to fight off bids for Iliman Ndiaye, who he labelled “phenomenal” as he tipped the likes of Arsenal and Man City to make moves.
However, the Toffees are not concerned about his future and remain “confident” he will still be an Everton player beyond the 2026 transfer windows.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Ndiaye’s importance to Everton means they will not let him go.
“I saw a lot of Ndiaye when he was at Sheffield United,” he told Football Insider.
“At that time, he was the sort of player who would drift in and out of a game, give you an amazing 20 minutes and then you don’t see him for the other 70.
“Then he went to Marseille, and Everton took a chance on bringing him back to England.
“They’ve been rewarded with the fact that he’s stepped up his performances and been better for them than a lot of people would have expected.
“The problem with that is, it starts attracting interest from some of the top clubs.
“All of them will be looking at players like Ndiaye who are performing to a high level for the likes of Everton, or somebody like Crystal Palace, Bournemouth etc.
“But as far as Everton are concerned, I don’t expect they’ll be willing to let Ndiaye go any time soon.
“He’s so important for them, and I think he suits the way they play under Moyes because he gets to show what he can do with workers and runners around him.
“That’s not something he would get at an Arsenal or a Man City, so I think Everton will be confident they can convince him to stay as an important player for them.”
Despite holding confidence of keeping their star player, Everton could assess alternatives to Ndiaye in case he is tempted to make the switch.
David Moyes makes new January transfer plan at Everton
Moyes is already making big plans for the January transfer window, as he aims to bolster his squad and continue with the club’s ambitious plans for the future.
This comes after former Everton CEO Keith Wyness told Football Insider that Moyes is building for the future at Everton and wants to ensure the spine of his team remains strong.
Despite making improvements elsewhere on the pitch, Moyes remains determined to strengthen up front amid concerns about Beto‘s performances so far this season.
Brown told Football Insider on 21 October that Moyes could look to replace Beto, amid fears he “is not good enough” to lead the line regularly.
Meanwhile, some Everton fans have labelled Beto “the worst player in the league” as frustrations continue to grow about their lack of attacking threat.
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