Everton set to seal deal for Marseille’s Iliman Ndiaye | OneFootball

According to Fabrizio Romano, Everton are in the final stages of sealing a deal for Iliman Ndiaye from Marseille.

The forward is said to have already agreed to join the Merseyside club, and just the final details need to be clarified before the move is completed.

After making a dream move to Marseille for €17m from then newly-promoted side Sheffield United, Ndiaye will depart his boyhood side following a disappointing and tumultuous debut season in France, where he gained just four goals and three assists in 27 starts across both Ligue 1 and the Europa League.

However, with Les Olympiens going through three managers and finishing in eighth place, Ndiaye’s underwhelming performances didn’t occur in a vacuum, and so the Senegal international will hope he can refind his form back in England.

Having spent time in French and Senegalese academies, the 24-year-old took an interesting path in moving English non-league side Borehamwood aged 16, before moving to Sheffield three years later.

It was at Bramall Lane where the versatile forward really shined, standing out with his excellent ball-carrying, dribbling ability, and multi-faceted threat in the final third. In his final Championship season Ndiaye was an indispensable figure for manager Paul Heckingbottom, playing all 46 games and accumulating more goals (14) and assists (10) than any of his teammates.

Consequently, Ndiaye should be a valuable addition to Sean Dyche’s side as they seek to improve their attacking prowess, having finished last season with the second-fewest goals in the Premier League.

The potential signing of Ndiaye will come during a busy period for The Toffees. Talented midfielder Tim Iroegbunam (20), has joined for a reported £9m from Aston Villa, as striker Lewis Dobbin (21) moves in the opposite direction for a slightly higher fee. Meanwhile, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Amadou Onana, and Jarrad Branthwaite are all of interest to Premier League rivals, with Everton already demanding double Manchester United’s £35m bid for the latter.

Travis Levison | Get Football