According to reports, Nigerian billionaire Dozy Mmobuosi is close to buying Sheffield United for £90 million.
The Nigerian who made his fortune in technology and co-founded Tingo Mobile, now valued at about £6 million, hopes to complete a £90 million acquisition of the Blades from Prince Abdullah in the upcoming weeks.
The club’s precarious financial situation, according to a Daily Mail article, is the reason for the sale. Mmobuosi has promised to fund the club in advance as Paul Heckingbottom’s team works to return to the Premier League.
Following the unsuccessful takeover attempt of Arsenal by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the richest man in Africa, a few years ago, this will be the second instance of a notable Nigerian being associated with the acquisition of a football club in England.
This season, the Blades are vying for promotion back to the Premier League, although a transfer embargo was placed on them last month due to financial issues.
The takeover by Mmobuosi, a Nigerian internet entrepreneur whose company Tingo has been valued at roughly £7 million, is purportedly about to solve their difficulties.
They assert that the embargo was put in place because the Blades neglected to make timely payments on acquisitions, which bans them from making a player acquisition for the next 18 months until they achieve promotion.
After being defeated by Nottingham Forest in the play-off semi-finals of the previous campaign, Paul Heckingbottom’s team is on track to win automatic promotion back to the Premier League.
The Blades are now second in the Championship table, five points behind the league leaders Burnley, but have a 12-point lead over Middlesbrough in third place with one game remaining.
If they win promotion, the club would need to invest in the squad in order to continue in the Premier League as they last competed there in 2020–21.
