Everton did not want to be having this conversation. With days left before the deadline, Iliman Ndiaye has become one of the window’s stubbornest storylines, and on Thursday CaughtOffside added Chelsea to a list of suitors that already included Arsenal.

The Senegal international is under contract at Everton until 2029, and the Toffees are not selling cheaply. His valuation has been put at £80m after a season in which he made 32 league appearances, scoring six goals and providing three assists.

Arteta wants a left winger despite Tzolis arrival

Arsenal’s interest is not new. Football Insider reported earlier this month that Mikel Arteta’s side hold “a long-standing interest” in Ndiaye and could act despite already signing Christos Tzolis this summer. A left winger remains a stated priority at the Emirates as the club begins the defence of a first Premier League title in 22 years.

Chelsea’s route in is different. Xabi Alonso, appointed manager on 1 July on a four-year contract, inherited a squad still shopping for attacking depth. According to CaughtOffside, Ndiaye was on Chelsea’s radar throughout the summer before the Blues pivoted to sign Morgan Rogers, and a late move would likely depend on further movement out of Stamford Bridge.

Read also: Zlatan left stunned by Haaland’s transformation: “What did you do?”

Everton have no plans to let him go

David Moyes has spent the summer asking his board to strengthen rather than shed. Ndiaye rejected a fresh contract offer earlier in the summer, and a proposed transfer to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal collapsed before completion. The player’s own preference has been reported as Champions League football, which neither Everton nor Chelsea can currently offer for 2026-27. Arsenal can.

None of this has yet moved the story onto tier-one ground. Neither Fabrizio Romano nor David Ornstein has published anything close to a confirmation, and there is no official statement from either London club. What exists is a set of overlapping reports pointing to interest, not to an agreement, and an Everton stance that suggests any suitor will need to make it worth the club’s while in a matter of days.

Read also: 'He needs to commit': Hürzeler makes public plea to keep Minteh from Liverpool