Sheffield United have explored Middle Eastern support before, amid fresh investment reports

The Saudi Arabian, who admitted last week that he came close to selling the club before it was placed under a transfer embargo in January, is reportedly looking at ways of identifying fresh revenue streams which would bolster Paul Heckingbottom’s recruitment budget ahead of the new Premier League campaign. The United manager is believed to have been handed around £20m in order to equip his squad for the challenge of top-flight competition, which would again require him to work extensively in the loan and free transfer markets.

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However, that does not square with a statement Prince Abdullah made during a recent interview with Bramall Lane’s in-house media channel, where he tasked coaching staff with bringing in “young” players with the potential to build a legacy in South Yorkshire if “God Forbid” United are relegated.

In order to maximise their chances of survival, it seems likely that a greater portion of the £170m winning promotion from the Championship will pump into Bramall Lane’s coffers over the next three years must be placed at Heckingbottom’s disposal. And with a takeover not believed to be imminent, despite interest from a number of business folk and consortiums based in the US, that could require Prince Abdullah to identify external sources of funding from outside backers.

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It is a manoeuvre he has attempted before, with The Star being informed that talks were held with a businessman linked to a media organisation in Prince Abdullah’s homeland when United were still co-owned by both him and property magnate Kevin McCabe. The person concerned had a previous track record of supporting sporting ventures but a deal eventually proved impossible to broker for a variety of different reasons.

Those negotiations were separate to the discussions Prince Abdullah publicly admitted he held with the Bin Laden family, who have a variety of interests in Europe, after deposing McCabe following a High Court battle in 2019.

If Prince Abdullah is taking a similar route again, it remains unclear if this would complicate any future move by outside parties to buy United outright amid speculation that he could soon receive a firm proposal from one of the groups known to be monitoring the situation in South Yorkshire closely.

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Heckingbottom has a proven track record of success when it comes to identifying temporary acquisitions with the ability to improve United, with Manchester City midfielders Tommy Doyle and James McAtee both excelling last term. Ciaran Clark, the Newcastle defender, was also credited with bringing the best out of fellow centre-half Jack Robinson despite seeing injuries limit his appearances.

Dozy Mmobuosi, a Nigerian entrepreneur, had looked set to gain control of United until his takeover attempt stalled. A brokerage, with a portfolio of North American clients, has been studying events at United and Prince Abdullah’s suggestion that he would consider offers for his shareholding, since then. 777 Partners from Miami have also been linked with an interest in United, despite Mmobuosi’s insistence that he wants to resurrect his bid after stating that he had placed nearly £9m into an account controlled by United World - which oversees Prince Abdullah’s entire sporting portfolio - earlier this year.

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