Manchester City do not usually shop for noise; they shop for function. If Ndiaye is the target, the appeal is obvious.
That matters in a side that often faces deep blocks. City already dominate possession; what they sometimes need is a forward who breaks rhythm, turns defenders and creates disorder in one-v-one moments.
For Everton, even the prospect of losing Ndiaye would be significant. He is the kind of attacker who can lift a crowd and change the tone of a match with one burst or one sharp piece of movement. Replacing that profile late in a window is rarely simple.
If the fee being discussed is accurate, it would also point to a familiar dilemma for clubs outside the title race:
That decision can reshape a season as much as any single signing.
Another report says City had looked at alternatives before moving for Ndiaye, which would fit the way elite clubs work late in the market: identify a need, test the top option, then move fast on the next name. Whether this one is fully over the line or still being finalised, the story is now one to watch closely.
The next step is simple: confirmation. Until then, the key storyline is whether Manchester City really have their new attacker - and how Everton respond if they do lose one of their most dangerous forwards.