The return of David Moyes may have brought a smile back to Everton Football Club, although it’s fair to say that the shining light on Merseyside remains a certain Iliman Ndiaye, with the Senegal star enjoying a dazzling debut campaign at the club.
In a largely workman-like outfit, the 25-year-old is undoubtedly the difference maker, regularly popping up with a moment of magic – including his breathtaking brace amid an emotional Goodison Park send-off last month.
The manner in which the ex-Marseille man is able to jink his way through a sea of defenders truly is a sight to behold, with The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell rightly noting earlier in the season that he is the type of player who can “change an entire mood” at a club.
With a brighter future in store at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the £15m signing should surely be the centre-piece of the new Moyes era. On the same note, signings of a similar ilk should surely be on the agenda this summer.
Latest on Everton’s search for new signings
Change is afoot on the Blue side of Merseyside – not least with the move away from Goodison – with the end of the Premier League season sparking a mass exodus from the club, with the likes of Ashley Young, João Virginia and Abdoulaye Doucouré all set to depart upon the expiry of their contracts.
That sea of departures has also seen the likes of Jack Harrison, Jesper Lindstrom, Orel Mangala and Armando Broja return to their parent clubs amid the end of their respective loan moves, albeit with the temporary capture of Charly Alcaraz set to be made permanent for a fee of around €15m (£13m).
The deal to sign the South American starlet could be followed by another exciting capture over the coming weeks, with the Daily Mail suggesting that the Toffees have taken the first steps toward signing Manchester City’s James McAtee, having ‘made checks’ on him.
As per the report, both Nottingham Forest and West Ham United are also keeping tabs on the promising Englishman, while a raft of Bundesliga sides are also interested, namely Bayer Leverkusen.
The 22-year-old – who reportedly has a £25m price tag – looks destined to depart the Etihad amid his lack of game time. Merseyside, as it has been for Ndiaye, could be the perfect home this summer.
Why Everton need to sign James McAtee
While Everton were hardly taking too much of a risk on Ndiaye, considering the forward’s reasonable £15m price tag, that deal did present something of a gamble considering his difficult stint in Marseille prior to that, in which he scored just four times in 46 games for the Ligue 1 outfit.
In truth, the Toffees were largely banking on the then-24-year-old rediscovering the form he had showcased prior to his 2023 switch, having lit up the Championship with Sheffield United, after registering 36 goals and assists in 88 games for the Blades.
Much to the delight of everyone at Goodison, those heroics have now been replicated in an Everton shirt, with Ndiaye ending 2024/25 with 11 goals in all competitions, placing him ahead of Beto in the club’s scoring charts.
That gamble has more than paid off, hence why plumping for McAtee could reap similar rewards, with the England U21 international also previously shining during his two loan spells in Sheffield.
Indeed, between 2022 and 2024, the silky playmaker registered 22 goals and assists in 75 games at Bramall Lane, with that including a return of nine goals and three assists in the Championship in 2022/23. Ndiaye, lining up in the same side, provided 14 goals and 11 assists in the league that season.
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McAtee’s record – last 365 days |
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|---|---|---|
|
Stat |
Record(per 90) |
Ranking* |
|
Non-penalty goals |
0.78 |
Top 1% |
|
Shots |
3.53 |
Top 6% |
|
Assists |
0.00 |
Bottom 1% |
|
Shot-creating actions |
1.96 |
Bottom 1% |
|
Pass completion |
80.7% |
Top 22% |
|
Progressive passes |
3.33 |
Bottom 40% |
|
Progressive carries |
2.55 |
Bottom 29% |
|
Touches in opposition box |
5.88 |
Top 18% |
|
Progressive passes received |
9.22 |
Top 28% |
|
Tackles |
1.96 |
Top 11% |
|
Interceptions |
0.39 |
Bottom 41% |
|
Blocks |
1.96 |
Top 1% |
|
*vs attacking mid/wingers in Europe’s top 5 leagues |
||
|
Stats via FBref |
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Described as “a special player” by Pep Guardiola back in Manchester, McAtee has since had to bid his time with the Citizens, albeit while still registering seven goals from only nine starts in all competitions this season.
An intricate, left-footed playmaker who can operate centrally or off the right flank, McAtee’s quality has also seen him likened to Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard in the past, with pundit Carl Asaba stating:
“He’s a bonus player in that he plays midfield and you have an extra number in there but then he can just attack.
“He’s like Odegaard. You play him in midfield so he’s defending for you, he’s another body for them to try and navigate away from but he likes the ball 30 yards out because he can go past you like you’re not there.”
That likeness certainly bodes well for the impact he can make if given a consistent run of game time at Premier League level, with the Toffees hoping he can follow in Ndiaye’s footsteps by shining in the top-flight.
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