Saudi Club Come Calling For £64m Everton Player: What Should The Toffees Do?

Saudi Club Come Calling For £64m Everton Player: What Should The Toffees Do? Fabrizio Romano dropped the news on July 26 that Al Hilal had initiated talks to pluck Iliman Ndiaye away from Merseyside. Fresh off raiding West Ham for Crysencio Summerville in a blockbuster deal worth up to £68 million, the Saudi Pro League champions turned their sights straight toward Everton. Ndiaye is the next marquee name on their shortlist. Everton face an uncomfortable £64m decision as Al Hilal target Iliman Ndiaye Initially, the situation hinged entirely on whether Everton were willing to sell. Then the player’s agent stepped into the frame. The 26-year-old Senegal international was informed of the interest, and he quickly proved receptive to the move. Now, he looks ready to push for the switch himself. The Athletic’s David Ornstein soon revealed that Everton have agreed to sell Ndiaye for a fee hovering around £64 million. That is serious cash. When you consider the club paid Marseille roughly €18 million for his services back in 2024, the return on investment looks staggering. His contract runs until 2029, which gives the board plenty of leverage. Yet turning down that kind of money is easier said than done. What David Moyes loses on the pitch Numbers don’t tell the whole story, but they give us a starting point. During the 2025/26 campaign, Ndiaye bagged six goals and chipped in with three assists across 34 total outings, featuring in 32 Premier League fixtures and a couple of EFL Cup ties. Statistically modest? Perhaps. But anyone watching Everton last season knows his true value went well beyond basic goals and assists. David Moyes views the forward as central to his attacking plans. Operating comfortably across either flank, the Senegalese winger gives the team directness, raw flair, and an unpredictable edge that no one else in this squad can replicate. He breaks lines. He carries the ball out of tight spots. Without him, Everton look remarkably flat in the final third. Losing him creates an immediate and massive hole in the starting eleven. T4O take: The grim reality of squad cost ratios Purely from a footballing perspective, sanctioning this departure feels risky. Money changes everything, though. Everton’s financial state remains a delicate balance. Their Squad Cost Ratio is hovering in the high-80s to low-90s percentage bracket for the 2026/27 financial window. That leaves almost zero margin for error. To make matters trickier, the club have already splashed out on fresh talent. Tyrique George, Merlin Rohl, and Hayden Hackney have all arrived through the door, yet no major player sales have taken place to balance outgoings. That situation cannot continue. In this context, receiving £64 million isn’t just an attractive proposition for the board. It looks like an absolute necessity if they want to operate responsibly this summer. The dangerous game of replacement SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JULY 01: Iliman Ndiaye #13 of Senegal arrives before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between Belgium and Senegal at Seattle Stadium on July 01, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) When Saudi state-backed clubs come calling, resistance is usually futile. Al Hilal operate with a virtually unlimited budget, and once a player’s entourage starts actively pushing for a move, it almost always gets done. The real dilemma is what Everton do next. Ndiaye’s market value sits around €49.6 million, so getting £64 million represents genuinely spectacular business on paper. But spreadsheets don’t score goals. Everton’s historical track record with reinvesting massive windfall fees demands heavy scrutiny. Replacing Ndiaye with anything approaching his quality for that fee, or even half of it, in today’s inflated market is a massive stretch. If they pocket the cash and drag their feet, Moyes will be left completely short-staffed in attack. Taking £64 million for Ndiaye is probably something Everton have to do. You simply cannot turn down that level of profit given the club’s financial tightrope. But this deal only makes sense if Moyes and the board identify a specific replacement before the paperwork is signed rather than after. Selling your best creative asset without a proper plan in place would be the exact brand of short-sighted management that has always held Everton back.