---
title: "Haaland already likes what he sees from £65m Man City signing"
canonical: "https://readmancity.com/2026/09/06/iliman-ndiaye-man-city-haaland-verdict/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Gary Gowers"
section: "Man City News"
published: "2026-09-06T11:40:58Z"
modified: "2026-09-22T18:52:45Z"
---

# Haaland already likes what he sees from £65m Man City signing

**[Erling Haaland](https://readmancity.com/2026/08/29/erling-haaland-man-city-admission-enzo-maresca-palace/) has been impressed by Iliman Ndiaye after the £65m signing made his [City](https://readmancity.com/) debut against Coventry.**

Ndiaye was thrown straight into Enzo Maresca’s starting XI following his Deadline Day move from Everton and played 87 minutes of Saturday’s 1-0 victory.

There is clearly plenty still to learn about Maresca’s system.

But Haaland has already seen enough of the natural ability.

## Haaland: Amazing to see

Asked about City’s two Deadline Day arrivals, Haaland praised both Ndiaye and Enzo Fernández.

But his description of the former Everton man stood out.

“Ndiaye, you can see his quality straight away,” said Haaland.

“The way he dribbles past players, just gliding through. It was amazing to see.”

Haaland added that there was a reason City had signed the pair because “they have quality”, while stressing the need for them to settle quickly and perform.

Maresca’s assessment of Ndiaye was a little more measured.

The City boss pointed out that his new signing had trained with the squad only twice and said he still needed to learn where to move within the system.

At times against Coventry, Maresca felt Ndiaye was moving in the wrong direction and occupying the wrong positions.

But that is the tactical stuff that can be worked on. The ability to glide past opponents is rather harder to teach. And if Haaland’s first impression is anything to go by, City’s new £65million man hasn’t taken long to catch the eye.

*For updates on City throughout the season, take a look at our [LIVE! Premier League 2026/27 News, Transfers, Updates & Viral Moments](https://dave.sport/live/premier-league-2026-2027-season-updates/) page.*