Sheffield United Takeover: Henry Mauriss named as American businessman behind '£115m offer for Blades' after failed Newcastle United bid

The American businessman reportedly interested in taking over Sheffield United has been named as Henry Mauriss – a man who previously made a bid to buy Newcastle United from Mike Ashley.
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Speculation about a takeover has raged for weeks and months, with an unknown American investor linked with the Blades – and former Magpies owner Ashley also credited with an interest.

But the man interested in buying the club from Saudi royal Prince Abdullah has been named by The Athletic as Mauriss, who is reportedly willing to meet the £115m valuation apparently placed on the club by the prince.

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Mauriss failed with a £350m offer to buy Newcastle after going head-to-head with the Saudi consortium that eventually took control of St. James’ Park.

Sheffield United's Bramall Lane may soon have new owners. Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty.Sheffield United's Bramall Lane may soon have new owners. Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty.
Sheffield United's Bramall Lane may soon have new owners. Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty.

Who is Henry Mauriss and how much is he worth?

While Mauriss’s net worth is not public knowledge – although he was described as “a billionaire” in media coverage of his bid for Newcastle – he dealt with over $7billion dollars in trades during his time as chief executive of Credit America Corporation and offered £50m more than the Saudi consortium for Newcastle – only for Ashley to reportedly grow frustrated with the slow pace of the attempted deal.

Hailing from Burbank in California, Mauriss made his fortune in credit cards and finance before moving into media. He transformed ClearTV into a successful national company across America and has also developed partnerships with USA broadcasting giants CBS and NBC.

He is a football fan, reportedly supporting Tottenham Hotspur, and is said to be “fanatical” about major league baseball.

Attempts to buy Newcastle United

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During his time in the spotlight as he tried to buy Newcastle, a source told the Daily Mirror that the bid for the Magpies was “genuine”, adding that Mauriss was a “charitable and honourable man” with “a big interest in English football”.

He is said to be inspired by how fellow Americans John Henry and Tom Werner have transformed Liverpool’s fortunes, and was keen to invest in Newcastle’s playing squad and also academy – which would be music to ears of United fans.

Media reports of the time suggested Mauriss saw Newcastle as a club of huge potential, which could also be said of United. Although they don’t currently have Premier League status, the reported price tag is also nearly a third of what Mauriss was willing to pay for Newcastle and, with the right investment, the Blades will surely be good bets to return to the top-flight soon.

Their last dalliance with the Premier League, which saw them threaten to qualify for Europe and beat Mauriss’s Spurs at Bramall Lane, put them on the global radar and Prince Abdullah openly admitted last year that he was looking for outside investment.

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Although at the time his preference was parties willing to invest funds but not necessarily take control, that stance may have changed – with Mauriss apparently willing to meet the £115m valuation placed on the club by the current owners.

Any possible takeover would rely on Mauriss proving that he has the required funds to purchase and operate United, while he would have to pass the EFL’s owners’ and directors’ tests.