It is safe to say that Chelsea will be looking to strengthen their options on the left flank this summer. The club simply do not have enough quality there. Alejandro Garnacho has failed to meet expectations since his move from Manchester United and could already be moved on. The Blues also splashed out more than £50 million to sign Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund, but the Englishman looks far too raw to be starting for a club of this magnitude right now.
So, expect Chelsea to sign another winger this summer. They have been linked with a few options already.
Mostly, they have been played who can play on that flank but also come into the number 10. That versatility appears to be attracting Chelsea at the moment. Kenan Yildiz, Morgan Rogers and Morgan Gibbs-White have been mentioned as potential signings. But another that has been mentioned is that of Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye.
According to The Athletic, Ndiaye has rejected multiple new contract offers from Everton since the turn of the year. So far, he has not asked to leave the Merseyside club this summer.
Ndiaye rejects Everton contract offers
Ndiaye’s current deal still has three years to run on it. So, Everton should not be in any urgency to part ways with him, just because of the contract rejections.
There is a suggestion though that a release clause could be present in his current deal. If so, that would take a lot of the control away from Everton when it comes to Ndiaye’s future.
The contract rejections are a clear indication though that Ndiaye could be looking to leave. He might already be thinking about life beyond Everton. And if there is indeed a release clause, it would make that move away easier to engineer.
Now, it remains to be seen if Chelsea will make a move for Ndiaye. Many fans would like to see him at Stamford Bridge. But then, there are those who have their doubts about his overall ability to raise the bar.
Would Ndiaye be the right signing for Chelsea?
Now, this is a tough question to answer. Is he better than the options present at Chelsea right now? Most probably. But is he someone the Blues should be targeting? The answer to that is more nuanced.
When it comes to the eye test, there is no question that Ndiaye is one of the most exciting players in world football. He is someone who will get you off your seat. An enigma who can make something happen out of nothing.
Chelsea fans will know about his quality well. Ndiaye did score against the Blues in the 25/26 season as Everton won 3-0.
Then again, his output is not where it should be. He managed six goals and three assists in 34 appearances for Everton last season. And his form dropped in the second half of the campaign after returning from AFCON, as he scored just twice and assisted one time in the final 16 games.
That is not the kind of output Chelsea fans would be happy with if he provided it at Stamford Bridge. The tricks and flicks won’t seem as attractive at that point.
