Sheffield United's Paul Heckingbottom on future of Sander Berge and Iliman Ndiaye - ahead of next week's transfer deadline

Speculation has surrounded the future of the Norwegian international throughout the summer, with the player having a £35m release clause.

Heckingbottom has consistently stressed that he wants all of the club's leading players and principally Berge to remain, with the silky schemer having already shown what he brings to the table for United, who top the early Championship table.

Heckingbottom, whose side visit Luton Town on Friday night, said: "Nothing's changed at all.

"We said all along, early on there was a lot of noise and bids but then it's gone quiet which is great for me personally.

"Sander is in the thick of it, but he's been performing and training well, he is a good lad and he's driven and he knows the situation. "Everything's been done properly so there's no surprises, nothing's jumping out the woodwork and hopefully nothing does."

Like Berge, Iliman Ndiaye has turned heads in a dazzling start to the season, crowned with two goals in last weekend's superb team performance against Blackburn Rovers, which featured a brilliant virtuoso third goal to round off a marvellous display by the dominant hosts at Bramall Lane.

His form is likely to have gone unnoticed among Premier League circles, but Heckingbottom plans to be working Ndiaye for a good while yet, with the club under no pressure to sell.

He added: "Everyone's got a price, we know that. Everyone.

"But I keep saying, Steve (Bettis) sat here and said we don't have to sell anyone and credit to them, we haven't.

"We want to keep the players we have and see what we can do this season.

"We've had a decent start, those two in particular have contributed, but a few more have stepped up. We'll need them. We won't do anything with 11, we need the whole squad. We have 22, 23 good players that are going to be needed.

"In terms of us and the squad, we want everyone here.”