CONFIRMED Iliman Ndiaye to Marseille

[Gin&Juice]

It's a total crime that we've sold him. Even though we haven't. Fuck this club.

I’ve just punched the Dooley statue.

 

[Westran]

IF he's sold, I wonder who we will buy with the fee that we get, it's ultimately an extra £20m on the transfer budget

 

[NateDogg]

No idea mate. I asked the same question last week was told something like, 'he's a mouthpiece for clubs'.

How does he know more than any of our local sources etc. He's just a chancer as far as I'm concerned who has made it by impressing people and now the world hangs on its every word.

 

[Houso]

You do not simply replace the only thing that is remotely close to a genuine attacking threat at Premier League level for 20 million. We have no midfield post-Berge, a hole at left defence so wide you can drive a bus through it and our next best options up top are "always injured" Brewster, "not ready" Jebbison and "just shit" McBurnie. If we sell for anything less than eight figures more than our record fee received this instantly goes down as our worst bit of business in club history

You've explained a reason to sell him right there in your post.

 

[NateDogg]

He seems to know stuff that nobody else whatsoever knows….who is he?

No idea mate. I asked the same question last week was told something like, 'he's a mouthpiece for clubs'.

How does he know more than any of our local sources etc. He's just a chancer as far as I'm concerned who has made it by impressing people and now the world hangs on its every word

 

[Colombia Blade]

Well according to Transfermarkt, Marseille spent €115 million on players last season, so hope the Prince plays hardball and gets a big whack of that...

 

[Greg.]

Is it just me but why go too Marseille,
yes they are in the Champions League but they are around the same odds as Celtic too win it so are likely to go out in the Group stage. The French league is at best only the 5th best league in Europe.
I get he supports them and wants too play for them but surely playing in arguably the best league in Europe would be better at this stage of his career.
I don't necessarily mean he should stay with us i just think moving too the French league is a bit of a backwards step.

Might be the allure of going back to the country he was born in and for a club he was involved with as a youth. They do have a big fanbase as a club to be fair and average >60k at home, more than PSG (albeit with a bigger stadium)

But agree, the standard of League Un is actually quite a step down from the PL, probably 5th in the world. Marseille have a current ELO ranking of 50th, just behind Everton:

Football Club Elo Ratings

clubelo.com

They have a lot of ex-PL players - last season Guendouzi, Payet, Mbemba, Alexis Sanchez, Kolasinac, Bailly funnily enough. Sanchez is really getting on now at 34 and was their top scorer last year, so perhaps opportunity to become the key man of the team.

 

[PrestwichBlade]

I think what’s key here is Ndiaye said he WANTS the move. If we deny him the opportunity by refusing any offer that OM offer us then ultimately Ndiaye will be unhappy playing in the red and white. Let him go where he’s happy and where he can excel, just give us 20 million in return.

Fair enough, but it's also up to the buying party to give fair market value if they want him badly enough. Not our fault if they don't have the readies. I'm sure his agent will be making them aware of this however!

 

[jt64]

You've explained a reason to sell him right there in your post.

Please, elaborate

 

[Gimli]

Announce relegation.

Announce administration.

Fuck it, announce liquidation…


Or maybe it’s not that bad. But it’s very depressing.

 

[andy m]

I completely understand that the club may want to capitalise on an asset that is going to sharply decline in value as soon as 1st September ticks round.

But let's be honest. This isn't a normal asset. This is probably the best attacking player we've had in my lifetime (I'm 42 soon). Only Deane is close. Also, he's absolutely unlike any other player we've had. The combo of tireless work and outrageous skill, this early in a career feels like something we might not see again playing for United.

If he leave I won't be mad at the club for selling him because I thought he'd keep us up single handedly (I'd say 10% chance of staying up with him, less than 1% without). I'll be disappointed that I don't get to see him play for us more often

Less than 1% ? You do make some proper bedwetting comments at times.

 

[RecordBreakers]

Of course he does. If he was on a 5 year deal right now how much do you think he'd go for? That £20m valuation is only that low because of his contract. Players like him are almost impossible to find and for a club like United definitely impossible to replace

But he's not on a 5 year deal is he that's why we have to look what's best for utd, and a club like united that needs replenishing can not hang there hopes on 1 player in the most unforgiving league in the world when 3-4 players would start the rebuild and cover more than 1 position on the pitch. Granted them 3-4 players may not or ever be as good as illi but as a collective then it could be better for us.

 

[Iffy Onuora's Shiny Head]

Every player always has their price.

But we must play hard ball and not budge from something like £25m and 25% sell on fee. For me he is a future £80m+ player.

If its not met, we get him for a year and hopefully helps retain us 120m next year which softens the blow of losing him on a free.

 

[dazzlingblade]

Give over.

Don't you think there's a chance he's looked at the noises coming out of the club about not having much money to spend and decided he'd rather play for one of the best teams in France, his home team club and the club he supports, in the Champion's league than playing in a team likely to be under the cosh and create very few chances? Living in the place he was born again? Seeing his mates he grew up with?

There's no guarantee he'd do a great deal in the EPL. Running down his contract while having a bad season would hardly boost his earning potential. When he's played against better defenders, for club and country, he's been a lot less effective.

I get your point about leagues but it's not like he's had serious interest here from anyone outside Everton.

He wasn't from Marseille, he's from closer to Sheffield than Marseille

 

[Carlton Blade]

But he's not on a 5 year deal is he that's why we have to look what's best for utd, and a club like united that needs replenishing can not hang there hopes on 1 player in the most unforgiving league in the world when 3-4 players would start the rebuild and cover more than 1 position on the pitch. Granted them 3-4 players may not or ever be as good as illi but as a collective then it could be better for us.

For them to be better than him you'd need at least 2 of them to be significantly better than the amount of money we paid for them.

I'll take a star over 4 'role players' every day. I can find players to do a job anywhere. The attributes Ndiaye has are rare

 

[jt64]

Every player always has their price.

But we must play hard ball and not budge from something like £25m and 25% sell on fee. For me he is a future £80m+ player.

If its not met, we get him for a year and hopefully helps retain us 120m next year which softens the blow of losing him on a free.

Yep, this. If a club does not come close to meeting the value we lose then we just retain the player and say GLTTL in May whatever happens

 

[Houso]

Please, elaborate

You list multiple areas where we're currently deficient.
1) there is no one player who can balance out these issues. Including Ili.
2) if (and it's always a big if) the fee allows us to improve two or three positions, then there will be some vindication for the transfer.

 

[Torrix1889]

Wow...4 and a bit weeks until the start of the season and we are significantly weaker than last season...

 

[loveWalrusDaveTheBlade]

If we think we’re getting relegated aren’t we allowed to go? You and the 10 other people on planet earth who don’t think we’ll go down will make Bramall Lane seriously intimidating no doubt.

In the real world, Bramall Lane will be seriously intimidating for visiting teams next season, no doubt. Just as it has been for many years, as frequently commented on by visiting players, fans and managers over many seasons.

 

[SufcBilly]

Taking it well I see

 

[JS Blade]

It does not matter if we do sweet fuck all with the money or not - the point is that retaining Ndiaye is the ONLY realistic way we stay up. We are currently 8/13 with 365 to be relegated, that equates to having roughly a 40% chance of staying up, i.e. if we say that PL status is worth nine figures on the nose, that we get £40 million in 24/25. If we sell for the £12 million you suggest (which wouldn't fucking surprise me), then it only takes our survival chances to drop to 25% or so (which I think it would do and more), and we are IMMEDIATELY setting money on fire. And if anyone thinks that you are getting anywhere near to replacing even a quarter of what Ndiaye can do with the sort of transfer fee incoming you speculate about, then that's deludamol level thinking.

I understand your point regarding odds and chances of survival with him - it helps, undoubtedly!

but ndiaye would not be the sole reason we stay up. The 6-7 signings we need to make will decide that.

I bet the money we get from the transfer will not go straight in the budget.

 

[andy m]

How did we finish 9th without him?

 

[Blade56]

I’m pissing myself.

I do that when I sneeze, fart, climb stairs to quick, lift a bag of shopping, use a 2 iron and eat ice cream.

 

[RecordBreakers]

For them to be better than him you'd need at least 2 of them to be significantly better than the amount of money we paid for them.

I'll take a star over 4 'role players' every day. I can find players to do a job anywhere. The attributes Ndiaye has are rare

I'm not arguing about illis attributes we all love the kid he's class no denying it. I'm looking at it as do we risk losing him for nothing get relegated and have to start trying to rebuild with nothing to show from keeping him. Or do we sell maybe get relegated but already have 3 players that are younger than the current squad and have a years experience of playing in the prem and give us a better chance of going again for promotion. Everything is ifs and buts in an ideal world we wouldn't be in this situation but we are and what ever happens we've just got to hope it benefits us in the long run.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

The sell on fee is huge in any deal. I truly think he could come back to the prem in 2 years worth 60 million minimum

 

[jt64]

You list multiple areas where we're currently deficient.
1) there is no one player who can balance out these issues. Including Ili.
2) if (and it's always a big if) the fee allows us to improve two or three positions, then there will be some vindication for the transfer.

The point is that the issues we have outside of attacking threat can be reasonably replaced/covered by incoming players on the existing budget and/or loans. As far as I'm concerned we just need an Anel 2.0 at LCB, and then two midfielders, ideally one permanent but maybe both loans.

What cannot be replaced is the attacking threat Ndiaye provides, which makes the whole front five better, for anything remotely close to the entire transfer budget plus whatever we get from an incoming transfer fee. It would basically need a combination of Brewster staying injury fee and being the player we thought he could become when we bought him as well as Jebbo showing the potential that is making various much bigger clubs at least be linked to him. We simply have to take the hit of him leaving for free in the summer of 24. Sell, and every other defensive coach in the league just writes their gameplan as "LOL" on a whiteboard and looks towards the next game

 

[Harrisblade]

The owners at Sheffield United never cease to amaze do they.

I can take us selling Ndiaye to a big champions league club but Marseille in the farmers league

Only the owners of Sheffield United could make such a mess of what should be a happy and joyous time.

But time after time do the powers that be at the lane suck all the enjoyment out of it.

If Ndiaye goes Berge will follow Mark my words.

It is a complete lack of ambition selling to Marseille in such a poor league.

Can't we at least wait until Marseille table an offer - because if and when they do, there'll be more substantial offers coming in from other clubs.

 

[moody1889]

£10m with a stipulation of a year loan back. If not tell them to do one. I'm dreaming I know

I am glad you aren't involved with our club 10m Coventry have just got more than double that for Gyokeres with the same amount of time left on his contract.

 

[jt64]

I'm not arguing about illis attributes we all love the kid he's class no denying it. I'm looking at it as do we risk losing him for nothing

Do not look at it as "risk losing him for nothing". Look at it as bringing in a legitimate attacking threat for one year at the cost of whatever potential suitors want to pay.

 

[moody1889]

Can't we at least wait until Marseille table an offer - because if and when they do, there'll be more substantial offers coming in from other clubs.

Marseille don't have 25m+ to sign Ndiaye it's all well and good agreeing terms but unless they pay the fee we want he goes nowhere.

We should play hardball.