Sheffield United Takeover: What prospective new bidder will have to prove to avoid repeat of Henry Mauriss saga

Media reports today claim that United’s owner, Prince Abdullah, has accepted another offer for his shares in the Blades just months after agreeing a deal with Mauriss, who also wanted to take over Newcastle United in another deal that did not happen. As The Star revealed recently, United’s owners are now taking legal action over what they claim is an unpaid £10m deposit.

Although the identity of the new prospective buyer has not yet been revealed, they will be subject to the same EFL tests as Mauriss and any other individual looking to take control of an English league club. That includes satisfying the league that they have enough funds to not only buy the club, but to operate it – including paying wages and also covering prospective transfer incomings.

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That money must be in a cleared bank account or deposited with solicitors, with the EFL keen to ensure that its origin can be accounted for and that it was obtained legitimately.

Although the exact financial details of the offer YorkshireLive report Prince Abdullah has accepted are not known, the club’s value is likely to be high. Paul Heckingbottom’s men are second in the Championship at the halfway stage of the season and The Star understands that their on-field performances so far this season have made them an attractive proposition for a number of buyers prospectively looking to buy an English club.

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With the cost of buying into a Premier League club spiralling by the season, investing in a top Championship club capable of breaking into the top flight and enjoying the riches on offer that way has become a more attractive proposition.

The timing of the relevation is also interesting, with the winter transfer window set to open again for business on January 1. As things stood, Heckingbottom and his staff were not expecting a lively window and were more focused on keeping their star players than adding to them. A takeover, if completed, and in time, may just change that.

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