Cheikh didn’t cash in with China move
CHEIKH Ndoye turned down opportunities to join to exodus of players heading to China in order to play for Birmingham City.
Blues’ latest signing agreed a two-year contract and joined training with his new team-mates at their pre-season camp in Austria.
Ndoye arrives with a reputation as a strong, goalscoring midfielder after two seasons as captain of Angers.
And Harry Redknapp is delighted to have got his man ahead of other suitors.
“He’s an imposing figure in midfield. Big, strong, aggressive – and he can play,” the Birmingham boss said.
“I like him. I think he’s going to be a big asset to us. He will be an excellent player.
“We have been chasing him for quite a while. It’s been dragging on a bit, I think he had big offers to go to China and everything but he decided he would like to play in England so we are pleased to get him.
“He’s a powerhouse. He’s made for English football. He’s aggressive, he’s strong.
“He’s got all that it takes to be a good player here.”
Blues’ third new signing is as impressive has the player’s own commanding physique.
Cheikh Ndoye’s powerhouse performances over two years for Angers saw them consolidate a place in the French top flight and drive them into the final of the French Cup.
Angers were more than keen to retain their talisman but recognised very early in negotiations that the clamour for his signature would see them squeezed out.
And understandably so, after just one full season of Ligue 1 football Ndoye was named by one magazine as one of the signings of 2015/2016.
His reputation for physicality in the centre of the park and aerial excellence in both boxes made him a hot property.
Sufficiently hot for West Brom to be linked and even for suggestions that Manchester City and Chelsea were scouting him.
Of course, where there were reservations were with his age. The midfielder arrived in France from Senegal in his mid-20s. Since then his rise has been meteoric. It’s easy to over-egg the pudding on the basis of YouTube clips and one training session – but as Ndoye has worked with his new team-mates, his physical characteristics are obvious.
At 6ft 3ins he stood out in Birmingham’s first full pitch training match of the week. He looked comfortable finding space and picking passes – but it was his strength which really stood out.
Twice he shielded the ball under intense pressure from Lukas Jutkiewicz – arguably one of the strongest players in the squad. Blues will not bring big-name target Ashley Cole back to England without a fight.
Curt Onalfo, who is Cole’s head coach at LA Galaxy, is determined to keep the left-back.
He was unequivocal in his desire to retain the services of the 36-yearold former Arsenal and Chelsea favourite.
“Absolutely,” said Onalfo.
“He is a really important part of our team.
“Ashley brings a level of experience.
“He is our oldest player but he often looks like our youngest.
“He has such a great way about him and he’s certainly in my plans and I want to have him stay here.” Cole is believed to be on less than £300,000 a year, which would not be punitive for Blues. Sources in the States suggest he is settled in LA, in a relationship and has a young son.