Senegal's Iliman Ndiaye deals Everton a blow and hands Sheffield United a boost

After scoring 10 goals so far this season and claiming his eighth assist of the campaign during last week’s victory over Hull City, the United manager is convinced Ndiaye is committed to helping his team mates reach the Premier League next term.

Crucially, although the landscape at Bramall Lane has changed significantly after United were punished by the English Football League for failing to pay a debt they owe to a rival team, senior figures tasked with overseeing the Senegal international’s development are convinced his representative will not attempt to disrupt the status quo until the summer. That represents a critical moment in Ndiaye’s career, with his contract set to expire 12 months later.

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Speaking before his side began its preparations for Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Wrexham, Heckingbottom told The Star he is confident neither the 22-year-old nor his United colleague Sander Berge want out before United’s discover which division they will be playing in next term.

But unless Ndiaye is offered a significant pay rise, the former Barnsley, Leeds and Hibernian chief privately accepts that a parting of the ways is inevitable in the not-so-distant future. The failure of United’s board to revise the agreement the attacker was handed in 2021, coupled with the fact a now departed director ruled Ndiaye should not be considered for selection until it was accepted, has left them in a vulnerable position regarding their star player’s future. Although Heckingbottom had repeatedly called for the situation to be addressed as a matter of urgency, no concrete offer materialised before it emerged United owner Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was locked in talks with an unnamed investor about selling his shareholding.

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“Everything is on hold,” Heckingbottom acknowledged last month, insisting he was not explicitly referring to Ndiaye. “There’s other things going on, as you all know.”

United’s financial difficulties have further complicated Heckingbottom’s efforts to persuade Ndiaye his future lies in South Yorkshire. EFL regulations state that, so long as they are banned from processing new registrations, all contract offers made to existing squad members must be considered by the governing body first. That means, until they find the money required to either meet their obligations or broker an acceptable compromise with the club concerned, United are no longer in complete control of their own destiny. Which, despite stressing his side will not be distracted from the task of trying to win promotion, will be a source of intense frustration for Heckingbottom. Second in the table, they finished the latest round of Championship fixtures 13 points clear of third.

Everton are reportedly monitoring Ndiaye’s situation closely but the £15m they are apparently ready to bid falls way short of United’s valuation, while the French born attacker has stated he would eventually like to rejoin Marseille after spending a brief period in their youth system before heading to England.

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