Prince Abdullah's Sheffield United takeover plan as American group close in on Bramall Lane buy-out

Prince Abdullah, the current Sheffield United owner, is exploring the possibility of retaining a minority stake in the Blades as part of a deal with a USA-based group of investors, The Star understands. The consortium is looking to take over the Blades following their relegation from the Premier League last season.

Although their identity remains a closely-guarded secret at the top of the club, with the Blades keen to avoid a repeat of the last two takeover attempts which became public knowledge and then collapsed, the group is said to be based in Silicon Valley, the Californian region known for technology innovators. The group have appointed former Bournemouth scout Des Taylor to try and facilitate the move, and will have to satisfy strict requirements from the English Football League before any change of control is approved.

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But the deal could become more of a partnership than a full takeover if the Prince can negotiate one with the Americans, having previously signalled his intention to retain a stake in United in the event of a sale. That could help the transition period, with the Saudi businessman now in his 10th year at Bramall Lane and with more experience of English football, and the Blades in particular, than the would-be investors can bring to the table.

The Prince has been a co-owner of United before, having been brought on board at Bramall Lane by his former business partner Kevin McCabe. The pair had a joint agreement to fund United before their relationship broke down, leading to the bitter High Court battle that granted the Prince sole control of the club in 2019 - on the condition that United’s property assets were purchased from McCabe.