Tottenham and Everton have agreed to a double deal involving Iliman Ndiaye moving to North London and Richarlison returning to Merseyside.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham and Everton are in the process of a double deal involving Iliman Ndiaye and Richarlison. It appears to be a swap of sorts, but the two deals are expected to be structured as separate agreements, with the two attackers yet to agree personal terms.
Tottenham accelerated their search for a new attacker after Cody Gakpo agreed personal terms with Manchester City. With Omar Marmoush and Savinho secured from City, Ndiaye now fills the wide-attacker slot Spurs targeted. As per David Ornstein, Tottenham have reached an agreement with Everton to sign Ndiaye, but the player is yet to approve the move.
This move comes as a significant blow for Arsenal, who had identified Ndiaye as a backup target if their Julian Alvarez bid failed, but Spurs’ agreement leaves them searching for alternatives before the deadline. As per Khadin Diakhate, Arsenal considered the Senegalese international a key secondary option.
How the double deal works
According to Paul Joyce, Tottenham will pay £60 million for Ndiaye, while Everton require the sale for financial reasons. The Merseyside outfit had previously negotiated a sale of Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest, but that move collapsed. Ndiaye serves as an alternative to Gakpo. The player’s approval remains the final hurdle.
Spurs will move quickly to finalise terms before the window closes, mindful of last summer’s setback when a late Arsenal bid saw Eberechi Eze join their rivals despite a Crystal Palace agreement.
As per Paul Joyce, Everton are expected to pay around £35 million for their former star, who has reportedly told Roberto De Zerbi of his desire to leave before the window shuts. Whether this is a good deal for Everton to bring back a player who has clearly regressed since leaving them a few years ago is the big question their fans will ask.
The two players will prove essential for the respective clubs, particularly Ndiaye, who could be a season-defining acquisition for the new-look Tottenham attack. As Fabrizio Romano said in his original update, the two players are yet to reach an agreement on personal terms as talks are underway to finalise the double deal.