Sheffield United owner reportedly eyeing another club for United World group - but what is it, and what's the benefit for Blades?

As well as the Blades, Prince Abdullah already has stakes, or controlling interests, in Belgian top-flight club Beerschot, Al Hilal United in Dubai and Calicut Quartz FC, from the Indian third division.

And according to a report by La Nouvelle République, a deal for United World to invest in Châteauroux is at an "advanced stage", with a reported board meeting scheduled for December 23 to vote on Prince Abdullah's proposal.

United World can be spotted on the backdrop to Chris Wilder's press conferences, with the ultimate long-term aim to co-ordinate a pyramid of clubs at different levels to develop players.

“The original concept when setting this up was quite similar to what a few Premier League clubs are doing,” United chief executive Stephen Bettis told The Athletic recently.

“Basically, a pyramid of clubs in different tiers of skill and standard with the intention of developing players. Manchester City do it, so do Leicester. Using that as a base, initially, the plan was purely to look for feeder clubs to move players upwards and downwards in a mutually beneficial way.

“The ideal scenario is for Sheffield United to be fed by all the clubs below, rather than us going out into the transfer market and spending fortunes on players.

“But then there is the other side of United World, in terms of how all the elements of the business work together. How those elements exchange ideas on marketing, retail, ticketing, the academies. This is the bit we are doing and not everyone else is."

The ambition has already been put into practice at Beerschot, who are third in the Belgian league and battling Genk and Club Brugge for the title.

Their good form has been aided in part by Ismaila Coulibaly, the young Mali U20 international who signed for the Blades recently from Sarpsborg 08 and immediately joined Beerschot on loan.

“From a Sheffield United perspective, there are only upsides to this [United World arrangement].

"There are no downsides. The club is at the top of the pyramid. If there is anyone they like or want to look at, it is one phone call and it happens.

“Coulibaly is a prime example. Sheffield United’s recruitment department looked at him, after he was highlighted by the central group recruitment team. They saw the potential but didn’t think he was ready to play here from day one.

“This way, we got to strengthen Beerschot by signing him. They develop him but, to put it bluntly, if Chris [Wilder] says he wants him then he gets on the next plane to England.

“The opportunity to sign for Sheffield United was a big attraction for [Coulibaly]. Coulibaly knew from the start he was signing for us but going straight to Beerschot.

“He found that proposition more attractive than going elsewhere. Basically, he is backing himself to be good enough to, at some stage, play for Sheffield United. A win-win for all parties.”

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