Should we allow N'Diaye and Berge to run down their contracts?

[alcoblade]

I honestly think Ndiaye will be sold at the end of the season. Someone will come in with a 30+ million pound offer and he will be off. Hope I’m wrong.

Yep - I think this will happen too, sadly.

I think Berge has removed all doubt that he's a top talent - he just isn't. I'll be surprised if there's any interest at a higher level than us - so I can see him angling for a new contract once that reality bites, if it hasn't already.

The problem is, I'm not sure a struggling Sheffield United would want a Sander Berge in the premier league. His talent is on the ball, not off it.

Some difficult decisions ahead.

 

[ForgeBlade]

A big part of me is resigned to losing Ndiaye this summer, even assuming we do now get promoted. He's going to be an absolute superstar, and if someone comes in with really silly money (say, £30m+), and he wants to go, then we can't really afford to stand in his way.

IF however, he's got his head screwed on right, and realises what he could become with a year as our star player in the prem, we should make him the highest paid player at the club and try and get him to sign a new deal. Up his wages hugely, tell him if we look doomed in January OR we get relegated next summer we'll let him leave.

I genuinely think the whole football world will be watching him next summer if he stays with us. If he shines, scores 15 goals and we stay up, his value doubles, and the REALLY big clubs will come sniffing.

I may be being a touch "red and white specs" here, but he's the best I've ever seen for us, and I really, truly think he can go on to be one of the best in the world if he's managed right. So this summer it might be Palace, or Villa, or Spurs...or sitting on the bench at somewhere like Arsenal if they see him as a "development player." Next summer, with a season in the prem under his belt, it might be City, or Dortmund, or fucking Barcelona for all the talent he has.

On the other hand, if he single handedly rips City a new arsehole on Saturday (I can dream ok?), then Pep might make him and us an offer we can't refuse in summer. Say, Doyle & McAtee, plus a decent sell on clause for Ndiaye?

Berge on the other hand...while there is still a tiny part of me that wants him to come good (and I do think he'll look better in the prem)...if someone offers £10m at the end of the season I'd be tempted to let him go, get him off the wage bill, and use what we're paying him now towards the new contract for Illy.

 

[Nagima]

Berge will have some interest but the price will be lower than we would like somewhere between 7m to 10m. Ndiaye is probably more valuable to us than other clubs would be willing to pay. He works hard and holds the ball up well but he has weaknesses that may take time to resolve. Whether some club is willing to take that time is anyone's guess. What I am referring to is overplaying with the ball and not getting his head up more when in possession. I would hope that he stays and we can either pick up someone or jebbison develops enough to make a good partnership.

 

[Nick Jansky]

For example give N'Diaye a 30% wage rise and for a one-year extension set a minimum release clause of £30 million if we stay up, which will be £15 million if we go down.

Ndiaye is apparently on around £4K a week basic. If he chose to move he would pick up a minimum £40k a week. You seriously think he’d even consider a 30% increase?

If he sees out the last year of his current contract he could easily pick up a £10m plus signing on fee from his next club.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Top priority is retaining our better players/assets, not recruitment. This means new deals for Ndiaye, Berge, Bogle, RND, Jebbison, Osula, Mcburnie and Anel have to be given the highest priority. Any other top academy graduates also need tying down. The premier league cash should at least allow for that. You aren't replacing any of the above for cheaper than the contract renewal, get real. Our likely budget is also highly unlikely to stretch to replacements for these and the necessary replacements for those we'd like to move on.

 

[jt64]

This isn't rocket science, you offer extensions to both, with relegation release clauses in both cases

 

[robbiez666]

Offer them contracts. If they won't sign then we have to sell them really. Can't afford to chuck that kind of money away and if they're going to leave on a free next summer then we're better off taking the money and investing in the future.

 

[blade67]

However he might struggle to get a game at another club and his career could stall.

If he stays with us we can guarantee him a starring role and a chance to impress in the Premier League.

I'm not sure this is how footballers or their agents think though.

He'd back himself to get into the first team, pretty much anywhere that would offer the big money, IMO.

 

[CPB]

We don't know how new contracts would go but we should start by offering them both new deals.
I suspect relegation release clauses and or minimum fee clause might need to be installed if they are to accept but better than seeing them run it down.

I would note that in Iliman I think he's quite settled here with his young family too. I also think he has a decent bit of gratitude for hecky.
But of course he's a talent and he will have dreams and desires I'm sure.

Everything else is speculation....

 

[jono_t2000]

and then BOTH leave on a free next after next season.

Love how people casually say "keep N'Diaye and Berge", in an ideal world of course we should keep them.
However there's a massive financial implication. They will both in the final year of their contracts next season.

In the Summer if we wanted to sell we'd probably receive £20 million for N'Diaye and £10 million for Berge.
Note: Of course their normal value is much higher but as it's their final year, then their values have dropped.

So the question is would you pay (lose out on) £20 million to have N'Diaye for 1 season?
If the answer is yes, then that works out at a cost of £400K a week.
So his agent would use the logic, if SUFC are prepared to lose £400K a week to keep N'Diaye next year
then paying him a £100K per week salary to keep him is an absolute bargain, especially as there's then a huge re-sale value, if SU wish to cash in in a few years.

Similar with Berge, if we keep these players next season, we are losing out on £30 million.
However I suppose we'd obviously need to pay more than £30 million to replace them.
However some of our big buys this Summer will be classed as investments,
where as we'll have lost all the investment in N'Diaye and Berge if we let both run down their contracts.

So my question is.....
do we gamble....make a serious attempt at trying to stay up next season.....knowing whether we stay up or not....we lose 30 million
or do we cash in during the Summer and add the £30 million to the transfer kitty?

Alternatively we could decide to pay these players the going rate salary for a PL player, with imaginative "pro player" clauses thrown in. My fear is that we would need to massively blow the salary structure to keep them, which is a massive risk as neither player have previously done much in the Premier League.

The only slim possibility we have of staying up for more than 1 season is by keeping Berge and Ndiaye in my opinion.

IF (big if) we do stay up then the income for staying up that extra year would easily cover the transfer fee we paid for both of them combined (obviously Ndiaye was next to nothing anyway)

Based on that, then the reward outweighs the risk and so yes we should keep them and let them play down their contract.

 

[Maidenhead]

We could offer them the world but I don't think either player will sign a new contract with us.

They will choose whether they stay or go, and whether it's this summer or next summer.

All we have to is to decide whether we're going to look after their interests or hold them to their contracts.

In my experience we would be foolish to hold them to their contracts so we should support whatever they want to do, that way we will remain attractive to other good players who will see us as a stepping stone in their own careers.

We are never going to be a "destination" club for top class players so our next best option is to aim to be a facilitator for them, and to be known for that.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Ndiaye is apparently on around £4K a week basic. If he chose to move he would pick up a minimum £40k a week. You seriously think he’d even consider a 30% increase?

If he sees out the last year of his current contract he could easily pick up a £10m plus signing on fee from his next club.

I'd be giving him £50k a week if he commits and putting a decent release clause in to make him happy.

 

[Nick Jansky]

I'd be giving him £50k a week if he commits and putting a decent release clause in to make him happy.

I think that is the sort of number we would need to be talking about. If we are serious about staying in the PL for a few years that will need to become the norm. Whether the club can achieve that without a properly rich owner is doubtful, though.

 

[Hamandcheese]

We need Ndiaye next season, we don't need Berge

Ndiaye should be kept regardless, Berge should be sold

Berge is more than replaceable, Ndiaye obviously is not