Sheffield United will change its owner despite the fact the club has earned promotion back to the Premier League. The Blades recently earned a spot back in the English top flight after finishing second in the Championship this season. The South Yorkshire team will return to the Premier League after two seasons in the second-tier division.

Nevertheless, current club owner Prince Abdullah plans to sell his team as soon as possible.

“To sell is my intention, but nothing is guaranteed,” Prince Abdullah told Talksport. “I’m not going to sell to just anybody. I care about who owns the club next.”

Prince only became majority owner of Sheffield United in 2019

Prince Abdullah has only been the sole owner of Sheffield United since September 2019. The Saudi Arabian prince won a court battle at the time to earn a majority stake in the club. A judge ruled that former club co-owner Kevin McCabe must sell his portion of the team to Prince Abdullah. The prince acquired McCabe’s half of the team for around $6 million.

There were previous suggestions that Prince Abdullah had agreed to sell the team to Nigerian businessman Dozy Mmobuosi. The deal was rumored to be worth about $141 million. However, the Saudi prince has now claimed that the deal is uncertain to happen.

“I can’t say it’s off but I think maybe now it’s unlikely,” stated Prince Abdullah. “But everything is open. I can’t comment more than that.”

“If we reach a decision, I want it to be before we start preparations for the next season. It can’t affect the team next year. It has to be done now. If we are in the club, we are going to manage it the best we can.”

Financial issues plagued club in recent months

The club has recently taken drastic steps to avoid entering administration. This has included turning off a heating system under their training pitch, stopping the use of grass fertilizer, and limiting part-time employees.

Sheffield United was also previously handed a transfer embargo for defaulting on payments surrounding a player purchase. The embargo barred the club to make any signings in the January transfer window. Nevertheless, the penalty was lifted last week and the team can sign new players this summer.

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