How Everton were able to sign new Iliman Ndiaye this summer

Everton love to look to the Championship to win some gems from the Football League.

They already acquired Hayden Hackney this summer. He was one of the most talked about talents in Middlesbrough’s second division last season, scoring a total of 16 goals from a midfield position, second only to Boro.

Hackney, who costs £16m, will be expected to slot smoothly into David Moyes’ starting XI when the Premier League resumes next month.

Iliman Ndiaye was signed from Marseille but first made his name in the Championship with Sheffield United. The Senegalese forward remains one of the Toffees’ trickiest attacking players, although he has been prone to a dip in form.

As the EFL market opens up again, Moyes could soon welcome another talent like Ndiaye into his ranks.

Everton agree to sign star for £20m

Everton are currently looking for a number of attacking reinforcements.

In fact, reports suggest Moyes and his team are keen to sign Pavel Suluk from Lyon, along with Rooney Bulge, who is currently at Barcelona.

As well as setting their sights on far-flung European leagues, Everton are also eyeing England’s lower leagues, with the Merseyside giants said to have reached an agreement on personal terms with Leicester City’s Abdul Fatawu, who has suffered back-to-back relegations to League One.

This is according to Turkish journalist Murat Ozen, who also revealed that Beskitas is in the transfer plans. Preliminary reports suggest he has a £20m price tag on his shoulders.

Everton appear to have won the desired goal against their Istanbul-based rivals, with the Toffees ticking all the boxes for the Indian-style success in the Premier League with the arrival of Fatau, who has previously set the second tier on fire.

Why Fatau becomes another Ndiai

Fatau won’t be completely following in Ndiaye’s footsteps here, as he looks to move to the Premier League soon after a tour of Europe.

Still, the estimated £20m forward believes a move could help him achieve the same flashy heights as his potential team-mate in the Premier League, so he will look to the former Blades attacker as an obvious inspiration. Ndiay is a skilled addition to the side, scoring 15 goals at the top level.

Leicester’s No. 7 has almost been outdone when it comes to goals in the Championship, appearing in 84 games in the second division and sporting the number 15 next to his name.

Fatau, who has 21 assists in a demanding division, is always looking to create chances with his active and direct performances, much like Ndiayi.

In assessing the 22-year-old’s heroics during the 2023/24 season, which ended with Enzo Maresca’s Foxes clinching the championship title, The Athletic’s Rob Tanner noted that many second-tier defenses “struggled to contain” the unpredictable 22-year-old, who made 90 successful take-ons.

During his time at Bramall Lane, Ndiaye also favored a deceptive style of defense, converting 127 shots for South Yorkshire during the 2022/23 campaign.

Since then, he has become equally tricky in the Premier League, with Como scout Ben Mattinson affectionately calling him a “creator of chaos” for his frenetic attacking display last year.

Contributing to 18 goals in the Elite League, and with the ability to back up every trick and flick, he is ready to take on the challenge of the Premier League, despite only making 11 appearances in the top flight in 2024-25 due to injury.

However, he did register two assists, but hopes that by playing more regularly under Moyes, he can cement his place as a Premier League-level talent, much like Ndiay did at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Everton’s squad is shaping up nicely for next season and the 32-time Ghana international’s arrival on Merseyside side Hackney could give the team even more of an EFL feel.