New Signing Reveals Why Rejecting Tottenham for Man City Was Easy Decision

New Manchester City signing Iliman Ndiaye revealed he couldn't say no to joining the eight-time Premier League champions despite interest from Tottenham Hotspur. The deal to sign Ndiaye could be worth just shy of $88 million to Everton, with the 26-year-old having recorded 21 goal contributions in 74 games for the club, often dazzling supporters with his lightning-quick feet. Spurs looked set on completing their attacking rebuild with the Senegalese international, with reports emerging after their 2–0 defeat to Newcastle United that a deal had been agreed. But they weresoon beaten to the punch by City, whom the player suggests he was always going to sign for once their interest became clear. 'I always say whatever comes, comes. God decides your future; it's already written. I was just being patient, and when City came through, I was buzzing,' Ndiaye said, in quotes relayed by the . 'This is where I think I belong. I've worked hard to get to this point. When I was speaking with my wife, I was telling her that if I had to leave Everton, it would be somewhere where I know I would be playing Champions League," he added. Ndiaye Pivot Came After Cody Gakpo Interest City had been interested in signing Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo, but they ultimately opted against selling the Dutchman and turned down an £80 million ($108 million) offer from the Manchester club. Had the Reds sanctioned Gakpo's sale, Ndiaye may well have made his Tottenham debut at the City Ground on Saturday. Instead, he was named in the starting lineup for City's 1–0 victory over Coventry City, quickly wooing match-winner Erling Haaland. Ndiaye hasn't yet featured in the Champions League. In 2023–24, his former club Marseille were defeated in the third qualifying round by Panathinaikos after he'd just signed for them, and he joined Everton the following summer. It was therefore imperative for him to take the next step at this point of his career, and Spurs' domestic slump over the past two years means they are not competing in any European competition during 2026–27. 'For me, it was always going to be City," Ndiaye added. 'I wanted Champions League and playing at one of the best teams in the world. I'm not saying Tottenham is not, but when Manchester City comes through, you don't say no." Ndiaye Quickly Learns High Standards of Man City Boss While Haaland was taken aback by the City debutant on Saturday, describing Ndiaye's dribbling as "amazing to see", manager Enzo Maresca was a little more measured in his assessment of the winger's performance. A fairly fluid iteration of City has been on show at the start of Maresca's reign, but the Italian is a positionally rigid coach at heart, with players given specific instructions. "Most of the time, he [Ndiaye] was moving in the wrong way, wrong direction, but he needs to learn, and for sure he's going to learn," Maresca said postmatch. Still, the new City boss was impressed enough after two sessions with Ndiaye to chuck him into the mix right away. Ndiaye has stiff competition, with Antoine Semenyo starting the season strongly and Jérémy Doku soon returning from a calf injury. With that in mind, Ndiaye must be attuned with Maresca's details to garner and retain the manager's faith if he's to play significant minutes this season. This article was originally published on www.si.com as New Signing Reveals Why Rejecting Tottenham for Man City Was Easy Decision.