Arsenal have endured a chaotic final day of the summer transfer window, with three high-profile forwards confirmed to be leaving the Emirates Stadium.
Fabio Vieira, Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Martinelli are all set to depart, heading to Hamburg, Barcelona, and Al Hilal respectively, leaving the squad significantly light in attacking areas.
The Gunners spent much of the window chasing moves for Vinicius Junior and Morgan Rogers, while also being tentatively linked with Liverpool-bound Bradley Barcola, without landing any of them.
Their only attacking addition so far has been Christos Tzolis, signed from Club Brugge for £34m, a move that was met with a fairly muted response from supporters who expected more from the Premier League champions.
Tzolis has since done plenty to quieten those concerns, scoring on his non-competitive debut against Girona and registering pre-season assists against both Borussia Dortmund and Real Betis.
In competitive action he has impressed further, picking up two assists in the Community Shield against Manchester City before an electric performance in the Premier League opener against Coventry City.
Against Coventry, Tzolis created the opportunity from which Bukayo Saka scored, led all players with four shots, and registered the most touches in the opposition box with eight.
Despite those encouraging signs, Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta understands that Tzolis cannot be the only wide option available to Mikel Arteta this season, especially with Martinelli now heading to Saudi Arabia.
Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye had emerged as a target, though a deal looked to be slipping away after Tottenham agreed terms with Everton to sign the Senegalese winger, with Richarlison set to move in the opposite direction.
However, Richarlison is still reportedly determining whether he wants to return to Merseyside, creating an opening that Arsenal have moved to exploit according to Senegalese outlet Taggat.
Taggat reports that Arsenal reached out to Everton overnight to hold initial talks about the terms of a deal, with Arteta’s side potentially ready to make a late Eberechi Eze-style move to hijack the transfer.
A fee of £60m has been mooted, which at this stage of the window represents potential value given Ndiaye’s track record and his standing in the Premier League.
Arsenal writer and content creator Harvey Diamonds described the 26-year-old as “one of the best left wingers in the Premier League,” a view supported by his underlying numbers.
Last season Ndiaye completed 70 dribbles across the Premier League campaign, a figure bettered only by Jeremy Doku who managed 77, illustrating his quality and consistency in one-on-one situations.
The season prior, only Doku with 107, Mohammed Kudus with 92, and Antoine Semenyo with 69 completed more dribbles than Ndiaye’s 68, underlining just how elite his ball-carrying ability truly is.
Tzolis himself posted a 22-goal and 29-assist campaign last season, though that came in the Belgian Pro League with Club Brugge rather than in the intensity of top-flight English football.
Ndiaye, by contrast, is a proven Premier League operator approaching his prime at 26, and his arrival would inject competition and proven quality into a position that has looked thin since Martinelli’s exit was confirmed.
Enquiries have also been made regarding Matias Fernandez-Pardo at Lille as Arsenal explore multiple avenues, though Ndiaye appears to be the most realistic and urgent option before Tuesday’s deadline passes.
The clock is ticking for Berta and Arteta, but a late move for Ndiaye could yet give Arsenal the left-sided depth they desperately need to mount a serious title challenge this campaign.