When Everton signed Jack Grealish on a season-long loan deal ahead of the 2025/26 season, it felt like the Three Lions star was entering a last-chance bar.
There were also questions about what manager David Moyes would do with Toffees talisman Iliman Ndiaye. After all, neither maverick could play on the left.
However, Ndiay performed well in his new right-wing position, scoring three goals in nine Premier League games and topping the club’s scoring list.
They are important for Everton for Indiae.
Alongside Grealish, he is the standout star of Moyes’ team. Ndiaye only joined from Marseille in 2024 after signing for around £15 million, but he has been a ray of hope throughout Sean Dyche’s tenure, scoring nine goals under Moyes. No current Everton player has achieved a better record.
His incredible speed and sharp mind make him a difficult customer for even the Premier League’s toughest defenders. According to Sofascore, the Senegalese international has won seven games per game so far this season and is yet to miss a big chance when played in goal.
Grealish has his own unique skillset, but there’s no one else like him in the blue half of Merseyside, or perhaps even the red one.
He wears the number 10 shirt with pride and purpose, and no one in Moyes’ team would have the quality to take it away from him at the moment.
However, there is one up-and-coming player from Everton who is eyeing a chance. He is currently on loan and is making quite a splash as he aims to return to the Premier League next season.
Everton prospect could steal Ndiay’s shirt
It’s hard for those of the Everton persuasion to admit it, but if N’Diai doesn’t play European football anytime soon, he might turn to the continent. Tottenham Hotspur and others are already considering high bids, with Friedkin Group responding with a price tag of over £70m.
If he leaves, Harrison Armstrong might think he’s fit for the summer. Indeed, the teenager has been on loan at Preston North End this season, riding the crest of a wave in the Championship, and his performances have led writer Jonny Nelson to predict he will be playing for England in two years’ time.
The 18-year-old has the grace, technical skill and physicality to become a mainstay in the Premier League and has taken his game to the next level at Deepdale after a promising spell on loan at Derby County last year.
Tall and more athletic than ever, he has already made eight appearances for Everton’s first team, registering three assists, and after some outstanding performances in the development squad, it was decided that a series of loan moves at lower levels would be justified.
Armstrong, who was praised for his “unreal” recent performance on the Second Tier podcast, is going from strength to strength.
We are seeing improvements. We are witnessing maturity and growth. Armstrong ranks in the top 10% of Championship midfielders in progressive carries this season and in the top 13% in successful take-ons per 90 (data from FBref).
A successful take-on is recorded when a player, while still in possession of the ball, directly carries the ball and defeats his opponent.
But more importantly, the overall level of his game has improved, becoming more confident on the ball and more combative in the progression of play. He is Moyes’ midfielder and a player who has every chance of emulating West Ham United’s Declan Rice. Declan Rice was developed into a superstar by a Scottish player.
Harrison Armstrong at the Championship | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (* per match) | 24/25 | 25/26 |
Match (start) | 15(12) | 8(5) |
the goal | 1 | 0 |
assist | 0 | 0 |
touch* | 33.6 | 35.0 |
Exact path* | 14.8 (68%) | 20.1 (82%) |
Opportunities created* | 0.3 | 0.3 |
dribble* | 0.6 | 0.8 |
Ball recovery rate* | 3.8 | 3.0 |
Tackle + Interception* | 3.2 | 2.1 |
Win a ground duel* | 2.9 (57%) | 2.8 (59%) |
Win an air battle* | 1.0 (45%) | 1.1 (75%) |
Data via Sofascore | ||
He is not a winger and will not replace Ndiaye in terms of his tactical role, but the Finch Farm starlet, like the silky winger, has what it takes to shine on Merseyside and bring a new dimension to Everton.
Everton could have Armstrong or a superstar capable of achieving the heights that Ndiaye reached.
