United Eye Everton's Ndiaye as Summer Splurge Takes Shape

Manchester United are lining up another ambitious raid on the transfer market, with Everton's Iliman Ndiaye firmly in their sights for the summer window.

Having already committed over £200m to five new recruits last summer—including Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko—INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe's overhaul of the attack continues. That investment came after United finished among the Premier League's lowest scorers in 2024/25.

Yet the midfield remains a glaring omission from their recruitment strategy. Despite exploring options such as Brighton's Carlos Baleba and Conor Gallagher (then at Atletico Madrid), the Red Devils made no additions to that department. Now, it appears they're adopting a holding pattern in January, preferring to stockpile resources for a more substantial summer assault.

That financial flexibility could prove crucial in the pursuit of Ndiaye, who has impressed at Goodison Park with four goals and two assists across 17 Premier League appearances this season. To prise the Senegal international away, United would likely need to approach the £75m they received from Everton for Romelu Lukaku back in July 2017—the Toffees' record sale figure.

The internal enthusiasm for Ndiaye appears resilient regardless of managerial upheaval, with admiration for the 24-year-old expected to persist through the off-season.

Meanwhile, interim boss Michael Carrick has made an eye-catching start to proceedings, claiming successive victories against Manchester City and Arsenal. However, former United stalwart Paul Scholes has cast doubt on the former midfielder's prospects of landing the permanent role.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad, & The Football podcast, Scholes suggested Carrick faces an uphill struggle, particularly if Thomas Tuchel emerges as a candidate. "Once you take that job full-time, at the start of the season next year, all of a sudden you've got to be winning games straightaway," Scholes noted. "If Michael has got to go up against, say, Thomas Tuchel in the summer then there's only one winner if you're looking at coaching big clubs and winning big prizes."

Scholes reckoned a move to Tottenham might represent a more realistic pathway for Carrick, suggesting such an appointment "wouldn't surprise me."