American Blue Scouser Column: Everton Would Be Making A Big Mistake Selling Iliman Ndiaye

With the news about Iliman Ndiaye possibly being sold, a lot of anger has gone through my body. While the club has made a lot of questionable and terrible decisions, this one by far is one of the worst if not the worst if it happens. I get it, selling him high right now would be a "good" business decision, but it really isn't overall. Ndiaye is an excellent player who looks to become a star, something Everton has lacked for a very long time (I'm not including Jordan Pickford only because he's a goalkeeper). Ndiaye has shown what type of player he can be with Senegal at the national level as well as at Everton.

Everton saw Ndiaye as a replacement for Amadou Onana, but honestly he seemed more like a star than Onana would have ever been and Onana was great as a Toffee. One thing that irks me is that selling Ndiaye, regardless of what the return is, only shows how unserious this club is in becoming one of the big dogs in the Premier League. Unless it's for £100m or more, it makes zero sense to sell him. There would have to be a contingency plan to replace him that would fill all the holes necessary on the squad. Selling Ndiaye this late in the transfer window would give them such little time to have the team be in a good spot to compete. But with a player who is a potential star like him, this is a guy Everton should be building their club around. Ndiaye is a difference maker and fits in perfectly in David Moyes' system.

The days of Everton falling in financial hardships is over, but if financial fair play is really the reason for this move, then The Friedkin Group is going to have to seriously restructure a lot in order for them to compete properly. There are ways for the club to make this team competitive, but selling Ndiaye is not one of them. There are too many holes already for Moyes and his staff to fix before this deadline happens. Moyes has also been vocal about needing more additions to the team in order to be more competitive, but selling Ndiaye is not it. Yes, the possibility of Jack Grealish and Richarlison coming back would be nice, but those two are older than Ndiaye, plus it gives Moyes more options on the attack and in his pragmatic tactics. Ndiaye is a better player than both of them right now, so to sell him and get those two back would be a step backward for the club. Having all three would show there is ambition for a trophy.

Toffee supporters have been wanting a chance to compete for European competition let alone winning a Premier League title for a long time. Why Everton can't be one of those competitive sides is frustrating and this possibility is classic of what the team has done for a long time. If the club has a strong contingency plan for if Ndiaye is sold and profit a lot of cash for his services, then there isn't much of an issue, however, selling a star like him, especially what he provides on the field when he plays, is a massive loss. Everton needs to be smart here.