It became something of a fire sale toward the end of the summer transfer window at Everton, with David Moyes losing players left, right and centre heading into deadline day.

Fan protest rightly put paid to a potential £40m exit for Harrison Armstrong, yet the Friedkin Group seemingly needed some form of sacrifice, ultimately cashing in on Iliman Ndiaye instead.

Perhaps, as will become clear, the Senegalese star is not irreplaceable, but the timing and manner of his sale will certainly sting as far as the Toffees are concerned.

Why Everton got it all wrong with Ndiaye sale

Heading into this summer, Everton appeared to be in a strong position with regard to Ndiaye, the former Sheffield United man still left with three years to run on his deal at the time.

There was no imminent need to sell, with that contract maintaining his value, ensuring the club could seemingly demand as much as they wanted for Moyes' key man.

Deals such as Elliot Anderson's £116m move to Manchester City, or Morgan Rogers' £117m switch to Chelsea, also offered something of an early benchmark in terms of in-house Premier League deals, providing Angus Kinnear and co with a strong negotiating tool.

Alas, even after seeing the likes of Savio join Tottenham Hotspur for north of £70m, the Merseysiders relented in the end, selling Ndiaye for just £65m on deadline day, leaving little time to acquire a replacement.

A farcical situation, in truth, with the player already showing his class at the Etihad.

How Ndiaye has performed since leaving Everton

Ndiaye, like Anderson, may well be starting to regret his decision to choose the Etihad as his next destination, amid the ongoing Man City saga, with the English game waiting with bated breath to see what level of punishment will be handed down. If any at all, with an appeal in place.

Alas, that's a topic for another day, yet in terms of what Ndiaye has offered up on the pitch so far, he already looks like a perfect addition to Enzo Maresca's side.

In the Manchester derby, for instance, the 26-year-old was immense after entering the fray at the break, notably attempting six dribbles as he repeatedly carried the ten-man visitors forward late on.

It was the kind of display those back at the Hill Dickinson had come to expect from their number ten, with Ndiaye certainly leaving big shoes to fill in Moyes' squad.

Thankfully, there could well be those capable of stepping up to the plate.

Why Everton players are raving about their new Ndiaye

Moyes is a manager who appears to thrive against the odds, having overseen an unbeaten start to the season despite being reduced to just 18 senior players following the end of the window.

It's a depleted, threadbare squad, yet, thankfully, there is still quality on board, even after having seen the likes of Ndiaye fly the nest.

On the flanks, in particular, the Toffees do boast potential match-winners in the form of Jack Grealish and Tyler Dibling, the two men both attempting to get their careers back on track for differing reasons.

Much is expected of Grealish, in particular, yet the man who has actually stolen the show so far this season is Tyrique George, the 20-year-old making his mark after signing permanently from Chelsea over the summer.

He'd shown flashes across his six-month loan spell at the end of last season, albeit while ending 2025/26 having made just one Premier League start in total for the Toffees and the Blues.

He's already comfortably surpassed that tally, the £24m man starting four of Everton's five league games to date this time around, operating primarily off the left flank.

Like Ndiaye, he's a real box of tricks, a truly eye-catching, game-changing talent. Indeed, he's already averaging 1.8 successful dribbles per game, the same record that his former teammate has achieved so far this term.

The pair have also both averaged 1.4 key passes per game, George mirroring Ndiaye in his ability to be that man to unlock a defence as Everton's creative hub.

Equally too, the youngster also boasts a stellar ball-striking quality, like the new City star, as seen in his thumping strike to drag the hosts level against Manchester United a month ago.

He's really growing into his role, and his teammates are aware of that too, with Merlin Rohl revealing over the summer that George had been tormenting players in training.

That's high praise indeed from one of his teammates, and while the sale of Ndiaye, not least to Man City, will still sting for a fair while, having a perfect successor already in the building can no doubt soften the blow.