Sheffield United hit the jackpot with £20m man who is now starring in the Premier League | OneFootball

Iliman Ndiaye turned out to be a fantastic player for Sheffield United, and they also sold him for a huge profit.

Sheffield United are flying high in the Championship this season, and a key reason for that has been smart recruitment.

The likes of Harry Souttar, Harrison Burrows and Michael Cooper are among a host of shrewd signings made by the Blades, with Chris Wilder and the scouting department all deserving huge credit for that.

Of course, those players are only a matter of months into their careers at Bramall Lane, and how good they turn out to be will be properly judged in the years to come.

Iliman Ndiaye was one of the best Sheffield United signings in the modern era

Yet, no matter how well any of the new additions do in a red-and-white shirt, it’s unlikely that they will reach the level of Iliman Ndiaye, who has to be considered one of the clubs best signings in their recent history.

When the Blades signed Ndiaye in 2019, it was understandably to little fanfare.

A 19-year-old attacker, Ndiaye was with non-league Boreham Wood, but he impressed on trial with Sheffield United to earn a contract.

However, the fact the forward was loaned to Hyde United a matter of months later was proof that Ndiaye was viewed as a long-term project, and there’s no denying the Blades took a punt by bringing him in.

Yet, within 18 months, the Senegalese attacker was going to quickly become a crucial player for the Yorkshire outfit.

Iliman Ndiaye took his chance at Sheffield United

It’s fair to say that Slavisa Jokanovic didn’t do a lot right during his brief spell in charge at Bramall Lane, but he was the manager that gave Ndiaye his first consistent opportunity in the first-team.

Admittedly, his hand was forced somewhat after a slow start, but Ndiaye took his chance when it came his way, and all connected to Sheffield United realised they had a player on their hands when the youngster, along with Morgan Gibbs-White, inspired the side to a 6-2 hammering of Peterborough.

Sheffield United continued to struggle under Jokanovic, and Ndiaye would take his game up a level under Paul Heckingbottom, who was named as the Serbian’s successor.

Whilst Ndiaye always had energy and ability, he quickly developed an end product, which made him a standout player in the Championship.

Ndiaye continued to flourish under Heckingbottom, taking more responsibility after Gibbs-White’s exit, and he became the main man at Bramall Lane during the 2022/23 campaign, which resulted in promotion.

Sheffield United made a big profit on Iliman Ndiaye

Despite reaching the Premier League, it was always going to be difficult for the Blades to keep their star man, particularly as he had entered the final year of his contract.

That proved to be the case, with Marseille agreeing a deal that was worth up to £20m to sign the player, who couldn’t turn to the chance to join his boyhood club.

Ndiaye’s time in France didn’t really go to plan, and he returned to England to join Everton this summer, as he got his first taste of the Premier League.

It’s a shame for Sheffield United that they couldn’t retain their star man following promotion, but the profit they made on the deal represented good business.

That fee, combined with the special moments he provided on the pitch, means Ndiaye not only remains one of the best players at Sheffield United in recent years - but also one of the best deals as well.