Sheffield United did not let £90m takeover saga derail promotion push: View | OneFootball

Sheffield United's 2023 promotion to the Premier League was earned despite turbulence behind the scenes

Sheffield United’s promotion to the Premier League in 2023 was achieved in spite of so much uncertainty behind the scenes at Bramall Lane.

The Blades’ owner, Prince Abdullah, was in the market for potential buyers, with Dozy Mmobuosi stepping forward as the likeliest candidate to take control of the club.

It was reported by the Daily Mail at the time that the Nigerian businessman was closing in on a deal to purchase the Yorkshire outfit at a price worth £90 million.

Talks over the possible takeover dragged on for quite some time, but never led to a finalised deal going through.

Despite this massive distraction behind the scenes, Paul Heckingbottom led the club back to the top flight with a second place finish in the Championship.

Sheffield United’s promotion under Paul Heckingbottom

Sheffield United have been available to purchase for multiple years now, but no deal has yet been reached.

Mmobuosi was the first major prospective buyer to come forward, with a £90 million deal looking possible in the second half of the 2022/23 season.

Heckingbottom’s side were on their way to promotion, but faced competition from the likes of Luton Town, Middlesbrough and Coventry City.

But the Blades showed no sense of distraction during the final stages of the term, comfortably finishing 11 points clear of third place Luton.

Eight wins in their final 10 games led to the club earning automatic promotion, a feat that Wilder will now be looking to repeat following their immediate relegation straight back to the Championship.

Sheffield United earned an impressive 91 points, deservedly winning their place back in the Premier League after missing out on a play-off final place just 12 months prior after a penalty shootout loss to Nottingham Forest.

Chris Wilder can learn from Sheffield United’s 2023 success

The current Sheffield United side made a strong start to the current campaign themselves, and have shown great mental resolve to put aside similar goings-on behind the scenes.

There remains uncertainty at Bramall Lane, with Prince Abdullah still looking to sell his stake in the club.

As talks continue, it could become an ever-increasing distraction, especially as competition for promotion continues to keep pace with them at the top end of the Championship table.

It was reported by Alan Nixon earlier in October that a £110 million asking price has now been set amid interest from a consortium led by American businessman Steve Rosen.

It remains to be seen whether that deal will go through, but it has put Wilder’s team in a very similar position to Heckingbottom’s of 2023.

Sheffield United did excellently to perform so well amid everything that went on behind the scenes, and were a credit to the staff and supporters who cheered them on.

It was around this time of the campaign where Heckingbottom’s team hit a blip in form, failing to win six games in a row, which acts as a warning sign to the current side.