No Iliman Ndiaye contract talks with Sheffield United but Paul Heckingbottom is not blaming the Blades

Ndiaye’s star has been on the rise since his full debut in September 2021 but the last couple of weeks took it to a new level, starting for Senegal against Ecuador and England at the World Cup, and registering an assist against the Netherlands.

Manager Heckingbottom accepts the forward has his price and is satisfied the club has done what it can since giving him his last contract 15 months ago.

"If he doesn't want to sign, he won't," he reasoned. "He knows we want him, it's up to his agent to start talking. There's been no conversations.

"It's not that he's asked for this and the club's only offered this, it's not even got to that stage.

"Iliman knows he can earn extra money now. A lot more.

"If a big bid comes in, no matter what I say and how much I don't want to lose him, the club will sell him."

Not that he is worried about the 22-year-old’s commitment having asked to train on Tuesday, the day after returning from Qatar, only to be told to wait until Thursday. He had no mixed feelings about the World Cup shop window.

"I would have loved him to score a hat-trick and England win 4-3 so he was back with us," he said. "We want people to see how good our players are."

Ndiaye is available to face Huddersfield Town on Saturday. John Fleck is not after a knock in training last month left him with fluid in his leg.

Jayden Bogle, Max Lowe, Sander Berge, Tommy Doyle and Anel Ahmedhodzic are in training after injuries. So is Oli McBurnie following a hernia operation but he will need more time to reach Championship match-fitness.