Sheffield United takeover set to be announced

Sheffield United are top of the Championship after 21 matches

Sheffield United's takeover by an American consortium has been completed and will be officially announced soon, BBC Radio Sheffield reports.

The group, which is led by Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy, said they had received full clearance from the English Football League earlier this month.

The takeover brings an end to Saudi Prince Abdullah Bin Mosaad Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's five-year spell as sole owner of the club.

The Blades are top of the Championship with 45 points from 21 games as they look to win promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

Rosen is the founder and chairman of Resilience Capital Partners, while Eltoukhy chairs biotech company Guardant Health.

Last month football finance expert Adam Sommerfeld speculated that all of the clubs in the Premier League and EFL could have American investment within the next five to 10 years.

Analysis

BBC Radio Sheffield sport editor Rob Staton

The takeover saga is finally set to come to an end. The deal has been signed and now it's just a case of getting everything ready for an official announcement.

This has gone on longer than anyone hoped or expected but the fact is it's done before the January transfer window, the Blades are top of the league and Chris Wilder is doing a fantastic job with a squad capable of winning promotion.

Prince Abdullah will hand over a club that has been promoted twice to the Premier League during his tenure and that reached the FA Cup semi-final last year.

This has been a great period for United fans, two difficult relegations from the top flight aside. The challenge for the new owners is to take the next step and try to establish the club as a regular feature in the Premier League.