Exclusive: Sheffield United's would-be new owner Dozy Mmobuosi will attend Reading match

The Nigerian, who remains confident his proposed takeover of the Championship club will shortly be approved, has business interests in Berkshire and plans to watch Paul Heckingbottom’s team in action for the first time since he was revealed as the person behind a bid which could see Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s four year reign come to an end.

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Mmobuosi has held a fresh round of constructive talks with Prince Abdullah in recent days, after it emerged the English Football League had requested more detail regarding his attempted purchase and, if successful, the business model he has formulated to try and develop United. This is now thought to have been provided, with Mmobuosi telling the panel scrutinising them on behalf of the EFL that he is prepared to answer any further questions which might arise.

In order for his buy-out to proceed, Mmobuosi must pass the governing body’s owners and directors test which also applies to “relevant persons” hoping to join any new board he might appoint. It emerged last month that Mmobuosi was the subject of County Court Judgements relating to rent owed on several properties in Hertfordshire. These were settled some time ago, with evidence being presented to the EFL’s legal and financial experts during their follow up conversations with Mmobuosi.

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Speaking ahead of United’s visit to the Select Car Leasing Stadium, manager Paul Heckingbottom told journalists he had received no “new” updates on either the situation regarding Mmobuosi or the current board’s efforts to lift the transfer embargo which is preventing him from negotiating new contracts with those squad members whose agreements are set to expire this summer. The sanction was imposed when United fell behind on their payments relating to previous player purchases.

“No, there’s nothing new for me to say on that,” admitted Heckingbottom, whose side enters the game second in the table and four points clear of third-placed Middlesbrough. “I’ve not been given anything different to report to you.”

Born in Lagos, Mmobuosi is the founder and group chief executive officer of Tingo Inc - a company whose interests include agriculture, food production, technology and mobile telecommunications. He is believed to have agreed a price, somewhere in the region of £90m, with Prince Abdullah for United although that figure has not been confirmed by either party.

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Crucially, the outstanding CCJ’s which received widespread coverage in the media are now said to have been cleared. Although it recently emerged these would not necessarily have prevented him from taking control of United, this would remove another obstacle standing between Mmobuosi and Bramall Lane.

Initially a co-owner, Prince Abdullah seized sole control of United following a High Court battle with former business partner and long-standing director Kevin McCabe in 2019. The ruling, handed down by Mr Justice Fancourt, came only five months after Heckingbottom’s predecessor Chris Wilder had guided them into the Premier League. United remained in the top-flight for two seasons before eventually being relegated.

A victory over Paul Ince’s team would see Heckingbottom’s team take an important step towards regaining top-flight status.

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