Ex-Sheffield United man Iliman Ndiaye labelled 'an absolute disaster' as his Marseille struggles continue

Iliman Ndiaye's stint at Marseille has been described as 'an absolute disaster' following his struggles for form this season. Ndiaye made the switch from Sheffield United to Marseille in the summer after opting not to follow the Blades into the Premier League, with the Blades picking up a reported fee of around £20m.

However, he has struggled to reach the standards he set at Bramall Lane in the south of France with form proving hard to come by. In 24 appearances in all competitions he has found the back of the net just once and while he has picked up three assists, the attacker has started to be singled out for his form in the French press.

The latest criticism comes following Marseille's 1-0 defeat to Ligue 1 strugglers Olympique Lyon at the weekend, which was Ndiaye's first game since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations. He started the game on the right wing, but with Gennaro Gattuso's side trailing, he was replaced in the 59th minute by new signing Faris Moumbagna.

“The recruitment had potential, but nothing is confirmed," French pundit Giovanni Castaldi said. "[Joaquin] Correa is a ghost, Ndiaye’s best move was to do keepie-uppies in front of the Gare Saint-Charles, but on the pitch, he’s an absolute disaster."

Ndiaye was linked with a move back to England during the January transfer window with Crystal Palace said to be keen on taking the former Blade to the Premier League to aid their battle against relegation. However, a move never materialised for the Senegal international, who will now be hoping to build some consistency, help Marseille climb the league ladder and progress in the Europa League knockout stages following a tricky draw against Shaktar Donetsk.

The 23-year-old scored 14 goals in the Championship last season for the Blades and played a critical role in the club's promotion to the Premier League.