'Best decision I ever made' Sheffield United owner Prince Abdullah opens up on selling Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge

Prince Abdullah says the sale of Iliman Ndiaye would go down as one of the best decisions he has made since taking charge of Sheffield United, for financial reasons at least.

Ndiaye, along with Sander Berge, left United un the summer to join Marseille and Burnley respectively, seriously damaging then manager Paul Heckingbottom's Premier League plans with hopes at the time high that both would stay.

Berge, however, was willing to remain at the club and not renew his contract, while Ndiaye, despite coming close to remaining, ultimately wanted to join his boyhood club.

Speaking to Sheffield United fans' Youtube channel Blades Ramble, Prince Abdullah outlined how it came to be that both Berge and Ndiaye left, when it had been suggested in the summer that Heckingbottom was planning on them being part of his squad this season.

"Once we got promoted, what was the strategy for this season and for the future of the club," he said. "We said the most important thing, if we get relegated again - of course you hope for the best but plan for the worst - the club will be in a good financial situation, that's number one. So we have to invest in the facilities, reopen the hotel.

"Number two, if we get relegated we have to have a younger team because we knew the great team we had in the past six or seven years, all the key elements are getting older and if we keep the same team we will almost have an impossible situation to get promoted again. I told them I wanted to get three or four players, because the team at the end of the day is 11 players, I want four or five starters this season, that if we get relegated this year will be the core of the team for a long time.

"Of course that's not counting the young players we have and the players we have from the academy. Let's get loans, two or three that can go directly to the first time. And also number one, extend Illiman and Berge, they were the goals for the season.

"I try not to get involved with the agents or about renewing contracts [in the summer]. I have good people at the club and at United World who can do that. Just because Iliman and Berge were important, I called the agents and Paul and Stephen [Bettis, CEO] and we talked to both of them, that we wanted these two players to renew.

"We offered everything, you name it. We tried all last year to renew both of them, from the beginning of last season, from when we lost to Nottingham Forest [in the Play Off]. Berge wanted to stay but didn't want to renew. For me it was easy and if you ask anyone, Berge is a very good player but if you ask 100 Sheffield United fans who would you take... Berge for one year or Hamer for four years? I don't think it was a tough decision.

"Even if you think Berge is better, you have to look at the injury record and for four years, versus one. I think it worked better for the club. I know people will disagree. I don't think we made a mistake there. Even if you ask Paul, I don't know what he would say but Berge made it very clear he did not want to renew. He was ready to give all he had for this season but it would be his last. We could not afford to take that risk. We sold Berge and bought Hamer for the same price, maybe a little bit more.

"The one that hurt us is Iliman. In my opinion Iliman was irreplaceable. We tried everything, offered him to be the highest player in Sheffield United history and to stay this year but if he wanted to go to Marseille the year after, we could have a release clause for 'x' millions, we would make it less for Marseille.

"He made it very clear he wanted to go this season to Marseille. Other than making him stay, the difference between him and Berge he didn't want to stay, you have to also factor that in. Would that have affected his performance? We would have lost him for free for sure."

Prince Abdullah went on to say that the selling of Ndiaye cost him financially and that is was a decision he was most proud to have made during his time in charge at United.

He added: "I think the image of a person's character and commitment to the club is when the decision was against your financial interests. Selling Iliman was against my financial interests because do you think selling the club would be easier if it is in the Premier League or in last place, do you think I'd get more money.

"All of us and the board, keeping Iliman would help make the sale easier but we decided to take the decision which was better for the club. If someone was to call and ask me what was my best decision at the club I would have to say selling Iliman I am proud of. We wouldn't have got promoted without him but I made the best decision for the club not for this season but for the future of the club."