Sheffield United handed Iliman Ndiaye transfer warning as boss hopes for contract progress

Ndiaye has been in inspired form so far this season, stepping up admirably to fill the void left by his good friend Morgan Gibbs-White and contributing four goals and an assist in his five league games.

In essentially his first season in professional football, the 22-year-old has established himself as key member of United’s set-up and also become a senior international, with a good chance of making the Senegal squad for this winter’s World Cup in Qatar.

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And Morgan, who captained United to promotion to the Premier League in 2005/06, would not be surprised if clubs were looking at Ndiaye in the recent transfer window.

“The way he’s been playing since he came in, I’m sure people were hovering around him,” Morgan, now an agent, said on the Blades Heaven podcast.

“He’s a real talent and from a defender’s point of view, you don’t want to play against him because you don’t know what he’s going to do. He just strides past people. He’s been excellent.

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“The staff have full confidence in him and I’m sure he loves playing for them. But unfortunately as we all know football is now a big business and if he carries on playing the way he is, Premier League clubs will come circling for him.

“That’s just the way it is. But I’d be advising him to keep his head down and keep playing well. Then whatever happens next, happens.”

Ndiaye penned a new contract at Bramall Lane a year ago to effectively end his exile, which runs until 2024.

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Although United may possess an option in their favour to extend it by a further year, as they have with many of their other players, it is unlikely to ward off potential suitors from higher up the food chain and boss Paul Heckingbottom has made no secret of his desire to see United open up negotiations with Ndiaye and his representatives over extending – and increasing - his terms and conditions.

“There’s a few younger ones who are important on (expiring) contracts and some older ones as well,” Heckingbottom, who worked with Ndiaye during his time as United’s U23 boss and gave him his professional debut as interim boss in the Premier League, said.

“I can give my opinion on that. I know from the club’s point of view, the younger ones who have had interest shown in them, they need to get done because they are the assets."

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