The long-running takeover story of Sheffield United may advance significantly before this weekend’s Steel City derby against Sheffield Wednesday at Bramall Lane. After months of talks between the Blades’ present owner, Prince Abdullah, and a consortium located in the United States, the team’s future has remained uncertain.
The delay was not helped by reshuffles in the group, which saw former money man Steven Rosen assume control – as The Star revealed earlier this year – of negotiations from English-born businessmen Tom Page and Dominic Hughes. Last week we were told that a resolution could be made in the next 10 days, with reports today that a potential announcement could be made within the next 48 hours.
Whether that timescale is met or not – and there have been similar ones mooted in the past before they came and went – there is increasing confidence that a deal is finally imminent, after a number of slight obstacles – including payment terms over the sale of the Bramall Lane hotel and the EFL’s insistence of personal guarantees from Rosen to cover any financial shortfall – were overcome.
Further progress was then made last week with boss Chris Wilder quizzed about the takeover situation following Saturday’s 2-0 win at Blackburn Rovers. “I’ve not been involved in the takeover at all,” Wilder said. “I’m not part of it and I’m head down and on with preparing the team for the next game.
“That’s [a question] for the chief exec or the owner, not for me. I’m focusing on the group. Nothing has affected me so far, it’s been going on for a while and it hasn’t affected me. Because we wouldn’t have had the results we have had if I had been affected.”
No timescale for an official announcement is currently pencilled in, we understand, with the time difference between the UK and Rosen’s group in the States an added complication in the discussions between the parties.
