Sheffield United: The danger of delaying too much on new deal for Senegal's Iliman Ndiaye
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Ndiaye, who is expected to spearhead United’s attack at Bristol City tomorrow, has forced his way into Aliou Cisse’s plans after excelling under Heckingbottom this term; being called up for the Lions of Teranga’s recent friendlies against Bolivia and Iran after being awarded a first senior cap in June.
Despite recently telling The Star he has now removed himself from the negotiation process after making a series of recommendations to United’s board of directors, Heckingbottom confirmed before departing for the south-west that Ndiaye is among a number of players he wants to be handed a new deal in order to “protect” his employers’ investment.
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Hide AdPrivately, both Heckingbottom and the club’s hierarchy accept the 22-year-old’s value is likely to soar if Cisse decided to take him to the Middle East.
“He, Iliman, has been one of the ones we’ve been having conversations about,” he said. “Conversations are on-going. It’s not simple. I wouldn’t expect anything to be done soon. Everyone has got to want to do it and these things are never straightforward.”
A difference of opinion about Ndiaye’s worth is believed to have been responsible for his absence from United’s matchday squads during the closing stages of the 2020/21 campaign, before Heckingbottom’s predecessor Slavisa Jokanovic ushered him back into the fold. Like the Serb, Heckingbottom is also believed to enjoy a good relationship with Ndiaye, having awarded him his debut nearly two years ago. Although Heckingbottom is not playing an active role in United’s talks with the youngster, that could help iron out any problems which potentially stem from that unfortunate episode.
Ndiaye scored his seventh goal of the season during last weekend’s win over West Bromwich Albion, which lifted United to fourth in the table ahead of their visit to the south-west.
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Hide Ad“I can’t ask for too much more from Iliman in terms of his work rate and understanding,” Heckingbottom acknowledged. “The challenge for Iliman now is to keep up these levels and produce even better big moments than he has been doing.”
“There was one incident in the last game, standing on the ball, a little trick to get away and then a simple pass, which really pleased me,” he continued. “Iliman might have gone for another trick, got everyone going in the crowd and then lost the ball. But I loved what he did because we saw a piece of skill that no one else on the pitch would probably have attempted and then the right decision at the end of it all.”
Ndiaye’s burgeoning partnership with Oli McBurnie, who was also on target at The Hawthorns, is another source of encouragement for United as they attempt to close the six point gap separating them from leaders Burnley.
“They’ve both got a physicality that’s under-estimated,” said Heckingbottom. “Good players can play with other good players, always.”