Iliman Ndiaye

Ndiaye, the cheaper option ticked off after the Vinícius refusal, has gone no further than an enquiry

In early August, after the Vinícius Júnior deal collapsed, several English outlets reported that Andrea Berta had contacted Everton about Iliman Ndiaye, the 26-year-old Senegal winger, presented as the cheaper alternative to the marquee targets. Ben Jacobs described an enquiry, not a bid. Everton value him at £75m. The player has settled a different question: Fabrizio Romano reported on 11 August that he had decided against an Al-Hilal move and wants to stay in the Premier League, which leaves him theoretically reachable. Nothing since: no documented formal approach, no top-tier pick-up on the Arsenal side.

Latest development

**New line, opened on 15/08 (evening), from 5-11 August reporting.** It fills a gap in our tracking: left wing is the summer's most problematic position — Vinícius Júnior has extended at Real, Barcola prefers Liverpool, Morgan Rogers went to Chelsea, Yan Diomande to Real Madrid — and Ndiaye is one of the few concrete names to have emerged since. What is reported: contact from Andrea Berta with Everton (Ben Jacobs, relayed by CaughtOffside, GiveMeSport and Football365), a £75m price from Everton, and competition from Al-Hilal. What is established, though, comes from elsewhere: Romano confirmed on 11 August that Ndiaye had ruled out Saudi Arabia to stay in the Premier League. That is the only top-tier element in the file, and it says nothing about Arsenal. No bid, no negotiation, and nothing at all for nine days in the middle of the window. Minimum status, line kept for traceability.