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Iliman Ndiaye has explained why he chose Manchester City after sealing a £65 million deadline-day move from Everton. Enzo Maresca's side dramatically hijacked Tottenham's chase for the Senegal international, forcing Spurs to rush for late alternatives in the closing hours of the transfer window.

City hijack Spurs' transfer plan

Manchester City successfully cut across Tottenham's attempt to sign Ndiaye on the final day of the transfer window. The Etihad club agreed a £65m package with Everton, made up of an initial £60m fee plus £5m in possible add-ons, according to The Athletic.

Spurs had originally turned to the Senegal international after missing out on Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo, who had also attracted interest from City. In the end, the Manchester club acted quickly to secure Ndiaye's signature and strengthen their attacking options.

Ndiaye highlights 'unbelievable' opportunity

Speaking after completing the transfer, the 26-year-old forward stressed how straightforward the decision was when it came to choosing the Etihad side over other interested clubs. "It’s easy to make the decision about whether you want to be at Manchester City or not," Ndiaye said. "You can see the recent history; you want to be part of that project."

He added that talks with the club's senior figures convinced him straight away. "They talked to me about where we could go, what we could achieve with me in the team, and I was interested from the beginning," he explained. "There was nothing else that I wanted other than joining Manchester City."

The new signing also spoke of his excitement at beginning this new phase, underlining his determination to make it a success. "Obviously, you want to be part of this new project. I’ve seen recently what they’ve been doing, and I feel like I will fit right in it," he said. "I’m super excited to start. It’s an unbelievable moment. I’ve worked so hard to get to this point and I’m super excited and really grateful for this opportunity.”

Blockbuster deadline day at the Etihad

Ndiaye's arrival completed a remarkable end to the transfer window for Manchester City. Along with the Everton forward, the club also officially wrapped up the £125m signing of Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez. That huge deal matches the British transfer record and reunites the Argentine with manager Enzo Maresca.

At the same time, Tottenham were left needing quick reinforcements after losing out on both Gakpo and Ndiaye. The north London side swiftly turned their attention back to Stamford Bridge and successfully completed a loan move for Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk before the deadline, reuniting the former Shakhtar Donetsk wide player with Roberto De Zerbi.

Integrating the new arrivals

Manchester City will now turn their attention to smoothly integrating their £190m deadline-day pair into the first-team squad. With both Ndiaye and Fernandez through the door, Maresca has impressive squad depth available across all competitions. Spurs, meanwhile, must quickly settle Mudryk into their tactical system as they try to move on from a frustrating end to their transfer window and launch their Premier League campaign after defeats in their first two matches.