Iliman Ndiaye transfer: Everton forward ‘going nowhere’ despite Al-Hilal links, insists father

Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye has “no intention” of leaving the Premier League club for Al-Hilal or any other Saudi Pro League side, according to his father, who has moved to dismiss reports of an agreement with the Riyadh giants.

Ndiaye, 26, has been heavily linked in recent days with a move to Al-Hilal, with some reports claiming the Senegal international had already reached a deal on personal terms. However, his father has publicly rejected those claims and sought to reassure both Everton and Senegal fans.

Speaking in a video posted on his social media account, Ndiaye’s father said many people had contacted him after seeing stories of a possible transfer to the Gulf.

“Beaucoup de personnes m’ont appele pour me dire qu’Iliman allait partir. Mais rassurez-vous, il n’ira nulle part,” he said – “Many people called me to say Iliman was going to leave. But rest assured, he is not going anywhere.”

Father says player has ‘no intention’ of Saudi move —

Ndiaye’s father explained that he had spoken directly to his son on the morning the latest rumours circulated and that the player had made his stance clear.

«Il m’a appele ce matin. Je l’ai meme taquine avec quelques mots en arabe et on en a rigole. Il m’a fait savoir qu’il n’avait aucune intention de rejoindre l’Arabie saoudite», he added – “He called me this morning. I even teased him with a few words in Arabic and we laughed about it. He made it clear to me that he had no intention of going to Saudi Arabia.”

His comments run counter to reports, including one from ESPN transfer specialist Pete O’Rourke, who recently stated that Ndiaye had given the green light to Al-Hilal and agreed the terms of a proposed contract.

Focus on Europe and international ambitions –

According to his father, the Rouen-born attacking midfielder remains focused on developing his career at the top level in Europe rather than pursuing a lucrative contract elsewhere.

«Il a encore des projets. Il sait qu’il doit continuer a travailler davantage. Le Senegal a besoin de lui, comme lui a besoin du Senegal», he said – “He still has plans. He knows he has to keep working harder. Senegal needs him, just as he needs Senegal.”

While acknowledging that a move to the Saudi Pro League would significantly increase his son’s earnings, Ndiaye’s father insisted that financial gain is not currently the player’s priority.

«Il n’est pas du genre a privilegier l’argent au detriment de sa carriere. Son combat, c’est de remporter une nouvelle CAN avec le Senegal, gagner la Coupe du monde et devenir un jour Ballon d’Or», he continued – “He is not the type to put money ahead of his career. His fight is to win another AFCON with Senegal, win the World Cup and one day become Ballon d’Or.”

Context of Saudi moves for Senegal stars –

Ndiaye’s stance will be welcomed by many Senegal supporters, who in recent seasons have seen a number of key internationals join Saudi clubs, including Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy.

The player is under contract at Everton until 2029, and the club are understood to be seeking around €70m for any potential transfer. There is no indication in his father’s comments that Ndiaye is pushing to leave Goodison Park, and no suggestion of talks with other clubs beyond the Al-Hilal speculation.

For now, the clarification from his father appears to cool the immediate prospect of a move to Saudi Arabia, although Al-Hilal’s next steps remain unclear. It also remains to be seen whether Ndiaye himself will choose to address the situation publicly after his father’s intervention.