Sheffield United's manager outlines his position about Marseille target Iliman Ndiaye

So towards the end of last season, when he outlined why it was so important to retain the services of Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge ahead of the new Premier League campaign, it should have become apparent to anyone who knows him that the 45-year-old suspected that might be easier said than done.

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The footballing argument is a non-starter. Having been directly involved in nearly a third (30.6 percent) of their goals last term, Ndiaye is utterly indispensable. Berge might not be irreplaceable but, given the constraints upon his budget, Heckingbottom would not be able to afford the Norwegian if he was trying to buy him during this latest window.

But as they prepared to properly begin celebrating promotion from the Championship, United’s manager and his coaching staff suspected there would be pressure from above to consider the financial case too. Both Ndiaye and Berge were about to enter the final 12 months of their present contracts and, if Heckingbottom knew that could tempt his employers to consider selling, then the duo’s army of potential suitors realised that as well.

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Nearly 10 weeks after outlining his position, using forceful but diplomatic language so as not to fuel talk of a split, the former Barnsley, Leeds and Hibernian chief’s worst fears are being realised. After learning Berge had been offered to West Ham, albeit by a third party intermediary presumably trying to jump in on any deal, it has now become apparent that Marseille want Ndiaye. Not next summer, when he is scheduled to become a free agent. But right now.

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Heckingbottom has made his stance clear. He believes it makes more sense to keep Ndiaye because the benefit - enhancing United’s prospects of retaining top-flight status - outweighs the risk. Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, United’s owner, also used an in-house interview soon after they went up to confirm he wanted to keep both him and Berge. But a variety of different forces are now at play, as reports over the past 48 hours have confirmed.

This is a complex situation although, for political reasons, it is difficult to envisage Heckingbottom being told neither Ndiaye nor Berge are shortly going to be at his disposal.

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If Marseille’s interest places United in a difficult position - as the board tries to balance the importance of giving Heckingbottom’s squad a fighting chance of survival whilst also keeping their accountants satisfied - then the same goes for Ndiaye.

The attacker has made no secret of his desire to one day represent the club he has supported since childhood, and which might qualify for the Champions League proper if it can progress through the preliminary rounds. But Ndiaye is also someone who values things like good behaviour and respect. People who have worked with him at United believe, no matter how hard his representative tries to push for a move, that the youngster would be uncomfortable submitting a transfer request. An act which could potentially sour his relationship with some supporters.

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However the situation eventually unfolds, there are lessons for United to learn. The idea of losing a generational talent like Ndiaye for nothing understandably fills some senior figures there with a sense of dread. Still, had the Senegal international been persuaded to sign an improved agreement sooner, they would not have been faced with such a difficult choice.

Although there is no guarantee Ndiaye’s deal could have been extended, given the trajectory his career is clearly on, some people at Bramall Lane are convinced there was a window when a compromise might have been struck. That would have involved improving his wages before he travelled to last year’s World Cup in Qatar. United can not claim to have been taken aback by his progress. Heckingbottom, who worked with Ndiaye in his previous guise as lead development coach, coupled with his immediate predecessors Chris Wilder and Slavisa Jokanovic all recognised the player’s immense potential. But for a whole host of reasons, which have been documented by The Star, this opportunity was not grasped.

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Heckingbottom is attempting to try and ensure the best possible outcome for both his squad, his employers and also the player himself now; suggesting a new contract is processed which would see Ndiaye handed both a substantial wage increase and guaranteed release fee in return for extending his conditions. The word ‘extending’ is important because there is an acceptance behind the scenes at United that, best case scenario, he will only remain on their books for another year.

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Of course, Ndiaye’s agent is also obliged to protect his own client’s position. Which is where things become difficult because entering into a fresh arrangement could reduce the size of any future signing on fee Ndiaye receives.

Leaks, claiming that Marseille have already made a series of proposals to the jewel in United’s crown, are clearly designed to try and exert pressure on Heckingbottom to make a decision. Ensuring stories of this nature reach mainstream media journalists is a favourite tactic of many transfer negotiators.

Heckingbottom knows this and will be determined to ignore them, whilst hoping other senior figures at United adopt the same approach.

But by deliberately raising the subject of Ndiaye’s future, before they waved goodbye to the second tier with a win over Birmingham City, Heckingbottom has shown he is ready to make good on a promise he made soon after taking charge: That he will always fight, tooth and nail, to protect the “best interests of the group.”

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