Everton want 70 million pounds for Ndiaye, and Man Utd cannot bid until Rashford leaves
Manchester United have the Everton winger high on their list and no way to move for him yet. Everton have three years of contract left, a big price on the door and a queue of buyers, so they have no reason to blink first.
Jul 29, 2026
Manchester United have their winger picked out and a price to go with him. Everton want around 70 million pounds for Iliman Ndiaye, and United are not going to bid it, or anything else, until they find somewhere for Marcus Rashford to go.
The block is a wage bill, not a doubt about the player
Fabrizio Romano put it plainly. “Another player appreciated by Man Utd is Iliman Ndiaye at Everton,” he said. “He is another player they like, but they are not progressing because of the Rashford situation.”
That is a recruitment problem rather than a scouting one. United’s hierarchy has decided it will not sanction a marquee wide signing while Rashford is still on the books, because his salary and his place in the squad are both wanted elsewhere. Sign Ndiaye first and the wage bill lands somewhere the club’s financial planning does not want it. So the deal sits untouched while everyone waits on a separate transfer that United do not fully control.
The awkward part is that Rashford has just had a good year. He spent last season on loan at Barcelona, played 49 matches and scored 14 goals, and one of them was the opener in the 2-0 Clasico win on 10 May that clinched La Liga. He picked up a Supercopa de Espana winner’s medal in January too. Barcelona still decided against making the move permanent. He is back at Old Trafford for pre-season as a 28-year-old on a large contract with a good season behind him and no buyer in front of him, which is exactly the profile that takes weeks to shift.
Why Everton can hold the line
Ndiaye is 26 and signed a five-year deal at Everton that runs to June 2029, so there are three years left on it. He has reportedly turned down improved terms. That reads like leverage on his side, but a contract that long means Everton are not selling under pressure from anybody. They can name 70 million pounds and wait.
His last league season was solid rather than spectacular: six goals and three assists in the Premier League. That is not a return that screams 70 million pounds on its own, which is the whole negotiation right there. Everton are pricing the three years of control and the queue of buyers. Whoever bids is pricing the goals.
And there is a queue. Aston Villa have been in contact with Everton, and they need a winger badly after selling Morgan Rogers to Chelsea. Al-Hilal have opened talks. Chelsea and Liverpool have been credited with interest, with Manchester City and Tottenham watching how it develops. Some of that is the usual summer noise around a saleable player in the last five weeks of a window. Enough of it is real to make United’s wait uncomfortable.
Five weeks to sort it out
The window shuts at 11pm UK time on 1 September, which sounds like plenty of time and is not, because United’s problem is not their own paperwork. Michael Carrick took over in mid-January, finished the season third and has the job permanently now, through to at least 2028. The reward is a summer where his first big signing depends on selling somebody nobody has bid for.
United have already missed out once this month, with Brentford agreeing a club record deal for Mamadou Sangare. Ndiaye is a different tier of target and a far more expensive one. If Rashford moves in the next fortnight, United can put in an offer and argue about the last 20 million. If he does not, Everton keep the player, keep the price, and let somebody else worry about it.