Everton have pulled the plug on selling 19-year-old midfielder Harrison Armstrong to Nottingham Forest for £40 million following intense supporter protests. However, the Merseyside club agreed a £60 million deal on Sunday to sell star forward Iliman Ndiaye to Tottenham Hotspur.
The dual transfer developments follow a chaotic weekend at Goodison Park that has exposed severe friction between supporters, manager David Moyes, and Everton's American owners, The Friedkin Group. The Texas-based investment group completed their takeover of the Premier League club in December 2024.
Reports emerged on Saturday morning that Everton were planning to sell Armstrong, a 19-year-old homegrown midfielder who has made 24 first-team appearances with zero goals. Nottingham Forest put a £40 million offer on the table, sparking immediate outrage among the fanbase.
Supporters who made the trip to a rainy Bournemouth for Saturday's 1-1 draw voted with their voices before, during, and after the match by singing about rioting if Armstrong was sold. Everton's board held a unanimous discussion following the fan backlash and called Forest on Sunday morning to confirm that Armstrong would remain at the club.
Academy Heritage and Ownership Distance
While Armstrong is not expected to single-handedly take Everton into the Champions League or match the immediate impact of former academy star Wayne Rooney, he is regarded as the finest prospect produced by the club in recent years. Everton's youth academy had suffered years of decline under previous owners, whose financial struggles forced the sale of top young talents and restricted investment in development squads.
As a versatile, hard-working local player, Armstrong represents a role model for younger academy prospects and a Scouse heartbeat living out every supporter's dream of playing for their boyhood team.
The Friedkin Group, headed by American billionaire Dan Friedkin, initially arrived to widespread acclaim after rescuing Everton from years of financial instability. Friedkin famously gained fame outside business as the stunt pilot who flew a Spitfire in director Christopher Nolan's 2017 war movie Dunkirk.
However, nearly two years after acquiring the club, Friedkin has yet to attend a single match at Goodison Park or the club's new waterfront stadium. The prolonged absence has drawn criticism from supporters who view the ownership hierarchy as detached from the reality of the club.
Iliman Ndiaye Set for Tottenham
Despite keeping Armstrong, Everton agreed to sell Senegal international forward Iliman Ndiaye to Tottenham Hotspur for £60 million on Sunday morning. The 24-year-old attacker had previously rejected multiple offers for a contract extension at Goodison Park.
Ndiaye has been one of Everton's standout performers alongside midfielder Kieran Dewsbury-Hall, defender Jarrad Branthwaite, and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. His departure deprives Moyes of a key player who excels at holding up possession and relieving defensive pressure for team-mates.
Everton fans and management questioned the timing and fee of Ndiaye's departure, noting that selling a star attacker for £60 million just days before the transfer deadline leaves little opportunity to secure an equivalent replacement. Critics noted that selling Ndiaye might have been easier to accept had he joined elite European contenders like Real Madrid, Manchester City, or Arsenal for a much higher fee earlier in the transfer window.
As part of the broader transfer dealings between the two Premier League clubs, 29-year-old Brazilian forward Richarlison is poised to return to Everton from Tottenham for £35 million. Richarlison previously spent four seasons at Goodison Park before moving to North London in 2022.
Managerial Frustration and Board Friction
The transfer turmoil underscores a difficult month for David Moyes, who returned for his second spell as Everton manager in 2024 after previously managing the club between 2002 and 2013. Moyes has cut a sullen and dejected figure during recent press conferences, leading to criticism from some supporters over his comments regarding the relative priority of domestic cup competitions.
Tensions between Moyes and executive leadership erupted after chief executive Angus Kinnear gave an interview to BBC Radio Merseyside describing last season as a failure. During the previous campaign, Everton defeated Chelsea on March 21 to move within three points of the Champions League qualification places, but subsequently failed to win another match for the rest of the campaign and plummeted down the Premier League table.
While Kinnear criticized the outcome, data from the online Transfermarkt database indicates that 14 top-flight English clubs spent more money on new signings than Everton this summer. Board spending decisions may have been constrained by Premier League profitability and sustainability rules and squad cost ratio compliance.
Moyes had drawn up a list of key transfer targets earlier in the summer, including Monaco striker Folarin Balogun, Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina, and Strasbourg defender Guela Doue. Alarm bells sounded earlier in August when a £2 million move for 19-year-old Manchester United prospect Ethan Wheatley collapsed due to Everton citing financial constraints.
Summer Recruitment and Squad Balance
Despite financial restrictions, Everton completed several key transfer deals during the window. The club agreed a £9.4 million fee with Fulham for 30-year-old right-back Kenny Tete, addressing a defensive position Everton had sought to reinforce for over a year after Moyes tried to sign the Netherlands international last summer.
Everton also signed midfielder Hayden Hackney from Championship club Middlesbrough, with Moyes planning to utilize him as a tactical Swiss Army Knife in midfield. In addition, winger Brennan Johnson was brought in to provide versatility across the front three, while 20-year-old winger Tyrique George completed a permanent transfer following an impressive loan spell from Chelsea.
In attack, 21-year-old French striker Thierno Barry has made a promising start to his Everton career by scoring four goals in his first three appearances, though the youngster lacks consistent top-flight experience.
Hierarchy on Trial Ahead of Deadline
Alongside Richarlison, 30-year-old winger Jack Grealish is poised to rejoin Everton after spending last season on loan from Manchester City. While both Richarlison and Grealish remain popular marquee figures among supporters, their acquisitions, alongside 30-year-old Tete, raise questions about long-term squad planning due to their ages and recent injury records.
Everton supporters had hoped the summer transfer window would allow the club to build toward European qualification and challenge for a first major trophy since their 1995 FA Cup triumph. Rival clubs such as Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, West Ham United, and Aston Villa have all demonstrated in recent seasons how structured investment can yield domestic silverware and European qualification.
Following Saturday's match at Bournemouth, Moyes sought to bridge the gap with disgruntled supporters by publicly declaring that the manager is an Evertonian. However, as the transfer deadline approaches, the decision to sell Ndiaye while narrowly averting the sale of Armstrong leaves Everton's ownership hierarchy under intense scrutiny from both manager and fans.
