Tony Bellew details Iliman Ndiaye transfer fear and names star he’d sign at Everton ‘in a heartbeat’

Former boxer and lifelong Everton fan Tony Bellew has been speaking about his hopes for the Blues

Tony Bellew admits he’s praying that Everton can keep hold of Iliman Ndiaye this summer and add Jack Grealish permanently but would also take back Richarlison “in a heartbeat” if Tottenham Hotspur are relegated.

The Blues host Manchester City on Monday night in their penultimate home game of the season at Hill Dickinson Stadium. In the reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium on October 18, Ndiaye produced one of his most impressive displays in an Everton shirt to date in the first half, but his side, who were profligate on the day in front of goal, were undone by Erling Haaland’s ruthless finishing after the break and beaten 2-0.

The Senegal international has made history by scoring the final goal at Goodison Park (he netted both in the 2-0 win over Southampton) and the first goal at Hill Dickinson Stadium (as Brighton & Hove Albion were also beaten 2-0) but he missed out on a hat-trick of landmarks in the Blues’ last home game when his opener against Liverpool was ruled out for offside in the first derby match by the Mersey waterfront.

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When asked in his pre-match press conference for the 2-2 draw at Brentford last month about other teams potentially casting admiring glances at Ndiaye, manager David Moyes replied: “He is the last person I would consider selling.”

Former cruiserweight world champion Bellew wants to see his beloved Blues bringing in stars rather than selling them this summer.

Speaking to nysportsday, the 43-year-old said: “If Spurs go down that club is getting absolutely raided. That Micky van de Ven is some player.”

Asked if he would like to see Richarlison return to Everton if the north London club (currently third from bottom with 34 points from 34 games) drop into the Championship, Bellew said: “Oh absolutely. In a heartbeat.

“I’m just praying no one comes and makes a silly money bid for Iliman Ndiaye in the summer. I haven’t seen any other player in the Premier League this season who wants to work as hard going backwards as he does going forwards. He’s exceptional.

“It’s been a difficult couple of months for Jack Grealish because you’ve got to understand he’s been at Manchester City and had those massive highs. Then you come to Everton where expectations are a lot lower and now he’s had this injury, which is so hard on him because he was playing really good football.

“He was the most fouled player in the league, which tells a story in itself. We’ve missed his ability to go at players and dribble with the ball.

“But the gaffer has managed the squad brilliantly since he’s been out. I know he’s got a year left at City, but I don’t know if anything has been or will be sorted for next season, but I’m hoping it can be.”

Everton go into the final month of the season in the bottom half of the table but can still qualify for Europe. With the Blues having been out of continental competition since 2017, ‘The Bomber’ reckons the team need to win at least a couple of their final four matches to return.

He said: “If we’d beaten Liverpool we’d have been on 50 points, gone above Chelsea and been two points behind Liverpool. But then we go and lose away to West Ham and it’s a completely different picture.

“That’s the Premier League this season. Two wins can send you right up and two defeats can drop you right back down.

“If we’re able to get something against (Manchester) City on Monday night, which is a big ask, that would be huge. But I think the deciding games now are Spurs away and home to Sunderland.

“If we can get two wins I believe we can get Europe but if we can’t salvage two wins from these last four games, I don’t think it’s going to happen. I want to take my kids round Europe, I want them to see Everton Football Club play abroad.

“Thankfully, I’ve been lucky enough to see it, when we beat Wolfsburg 4-1 back in 2014, that was one of my favourite nights ever as an Everton fan. It was brilliant and if we do qualify it’s then on the owners to invest more and strengthen the squad because then we need to repeat it the following year.”

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Regardless of whether Everton secure European qualification or not this year, Bellew believes that with The Friedkin Group in control and having brought Moyes back as manager, the club’s future remains bright.

The Glaswegian gaffer became only the third manager after multiple title winners Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United and Arsene Wenger of Arsenal to take charge of 750 Premier League games last time out at West Ham United, but a 2-1 loss at his previous employers – the first time in their history that the Blues have lost consecutive games in stoppage time – have led to some online rumblings among the fanbase.

Bellew said: “I don’t know who’s been giving him (Moyes) stick because it wasn’t anyone sitting near me, that’s for sure. He’s been absolutely brilliant.

“To play the hand with the cards he’s been dealt has been phenomenal. He’s spent very little money.

“We’ve got a model now at our football club – a brilliant set of owners who are proper football people – this is not a fella playing Championship Manager. We’ve got some exciting young players, the best of whom are probably going to get sold, but I’ve got no problem with that because if you come to Everton and do really well, that means we do really well as a club.

“If you do well and use Everton as a stepping stone that means you do well, we do well and everyone’s happy. But eventually you get to a stage where you can start keeping all your players.

“The only way is up for Everton Football Club. It’s been really hard adjusting to the new stadium.

“I think it’s the best stadium in the country for football. Spurs’ stadium is better overall, in terms of hosting events and concerts.”