Manchester City have made contact over a deal to hijack Tottenham's bid for Iliman Ndiaye, with their move for Cody Gakpo now in danger, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Cityzens have started the season strongly with two wins from their opening two games, following a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace on Friday night, but new manager Enzo Maresca is keen to bolster his squad before the transfer window shuts on Tuesday night.
Cody Gakpo had been seen as a top target for the forward position, with the club keen to replace Savio and Omar Marmoush, and the Netherlands international has given City his priority to get a deal done. However, Liverpool are not willing to sell without bringing a replacement in first, which has seen the deal stall.
With City still keen to add to their squad, the club have now made contact with Everton forward Ndiaye's representatives once again over hijacking Tottenham's move for the Senegal international, according to Romano.
Spurs had agreed a deal with the Toffees worth around £60m over the weekend, with Brazil striker Richarlison heading in the opposite direction in a separate deal. However, Richarlison is yet to agree terms with Everton over a return, and that has seen the Ndiaye deal stall too, and allowed Man City to re-enter the race.
Man City had shown an interest in Ndiaye earlier in the window, but prioritised a deal for Gakpo instead. An £85m deal was expected to progress with the Anfield club, however, Liverpool have seen their interest in Yankuba Minteh and Ismaila Sarr hit hurdles, which has meant Gakpo could now stay.
Tottenham made their move for Ndiaye after Gakpo opted to move to the Etihad Stadium over north London, despite agreeing terms with the club as long ago as July.
But their move for the 25-year-old is also now in danger of not happening after City made a late push, with calls being made just hours before the deadline.
Huge Blow for Tottenham if Ndiaye Goes Elsewhere
Spurs have spent a huge amount of money so far this summer, but Roberto De Zerbi is still adamant that they need more in attack if they want to compete.
The team has already lost their first two games of the season against Brentford and Newcastle, failing to score in either game, and after seemingly losing out on a move for Gakpo, they moved quickly to agree a move for an alternative.
But it now seems that they could be set to miss out once again unless they're able to move quickly and convince Ndiaye that they are the right club for him, and with just over 24 hours until the window closes, they are running out of time to bring in the man the manager wants to strengthen the squad.