City are closing in on the signing of Iliman Ndiaye after agreeing a deal worth up to £65m with Everton for the Senegal international.
City are set to pay £60m guaranteed, with another £5m potentially following in add-ons, for the 26-year-old.
Ndiaye is expected to undergo a medical on Tuesday before completing the move, with personal terms also understood to be in place.
It has all happened quickly.
City had been pursuing Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo, but switched their attention elsewhere after an £80m bid was rejected. That led them to Ndiaye, who had also attracted interest from Tottenham.
So what exactly are City getting for their money?
Ndiaye gives Maresca something City have been missing
The attraction becomes clearer when looking beyond Ndiaye’s goals and assists.
He scored 15 Premier League goals across his two completed seasons at Everton, but much of his value came from his ability to change the tempo of an attack.
Ndiaye is comfortable receiving possession in congested areas, can beat opponents one-on-one and is willing to carry the ball towards defenders rather than simply move it on.
He can operate from the left or through central areas and, crucially, gives Enzo Maresca another genuine wide option. And he’s a dribbler. A rarity these days.
That had become increasingly important.
City allowed Savinho and Omar Marmoush to join Tottenham during the summer and did not have a recognised winger among their substitutes for Friday night’s 4-1 victory at Crystal Palace, when Phil Foden started out wide.
Ndiaye should immediately give Maresca greater flexibility.
There is, inevitably, a question over the price.
Premier League nous
For £60m guaranteed, City will expect considerably more than a decent squad player, and Ndiaye doesn’t arrive with the sort of attacking numbers normally associated with a transfer of that size.
But City are buying a player already proven in the Premier League and one entering what should be the prime years of his career.
They are also taking him from an Everton side where he was regularly expected to provide the spark and putting him into a team containing considerably more attacking quality.
Ndiaye will still be expected to beat players, carry the ball and make things happen. At City, however, he should have more quality around him and more options when he does.
If Maresca can turn those qualities into a more consistent end product, the fee may eventually look less striking.
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