“No reason why the Blades should be dropping below the £30m mark” – The worth of Iliman Ndiaye to Sheffield United: The verdict | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Iliman Ndiaye will likely be a part of the Championship Player of the Season conversation at the end of the campaign, if he continues to perform to the level that he has at Sheffield United.

The 22-year-old’s dribbling ability and relentless consistency this term, will make him a Premier League or top-flight footballer next season with or without the Blades.

Gaining increased exposure at the World Cup with Senegal has only lifted Ndiaye’s profile further and the 22-year-old is ready for the next step in his career.

We gathered the thoughts of a selection of FLW writers to see what they believe the versatile forward is worth in the transfer market…

Simmey Hannifin-Donaldson

I really think this is a tricky one to answer right now as I believe there’s his current market value, and then what he’s actually worth to this Sheffield United side right now.

For example, I was quite surprised that the Blades turned down the £30 million offer from Everton during the January transfer window as with 18 months left on his deal, and no sign of a new contract on the horizon, that is probably just about right in terms of valuation.

However, at the same time, I can totally understand why the Blades knocked back that offer.

Although they hold a healthy ten-point gap over Middlesbrough in the race for automatic promotion, that amount is not insurmountable and losing Ndiaye could have had a drastic impact on the side’s results given his fine form this season.

Therefore, selling him last month would have potentially been jeopardising the huge financial gains that lie in wait for the Blades if they are promoted.

So as I say, to me, the £30 million seemed a good deal, but right at this moment in time, Ndiaye is almost priceless for the Blades given they are on the brink of that promotion.

Brett Worthington

Iliman Ndiaye is irreplaceable for Sheffield United.

Ndiaye has once again shown his worth to this Sheffield United team this season, as he’s become one of the club’s most influential players.

This is now Ndiaye’s second full season at United, and he is already on course to pass his appearance total from last season in the Championship.

At 22, Ndiaye has already shown his maturity in his game, and with plenty of years ahead of him in his football career, the attacker is only going to get better and better.

The Senegalese has added goals to his game on a more consistent basis this season, and with his added asset of versatility in his game, he’s got all the makings of becoming a very top footballer.

Obviously, there is lots of talk regarding Ndiaye’s future and how much he is worth, and considering all of the above and his performances this season, Sheffield United have every right to be asking for £15 million at the minimum.

Marcus Ally

As things stand, Ndiaye’s contract only runs until the end of next season, but if the Blades are in the Premier League by the time the next transfer window rolls around, they can demand more still for the 22-year-old’s services.

There is no reason why the Blades should be dropping below the £30m mark given Ndiaye’s ability and age, if they do not win promotion they will probably have to sell for less than that, but in the top-flight they can stand firm.

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Even if that valuation is matched in the summer, there would be an argument that United should keep Ndiaye to aid Premier League survival, knowing they would recoup a fee of some kind in summer 2024 due to his age, and with the gap in revenue between playing in the second tier and the top-flight.

They should not listen to offers below £30 million if they seal promotion, Ndiaye has the ability to go right to the top.