Sheffield United owner Prince Abdullah still intends to sell the club despite their promotion to the Premier League but admits a sale to Dozy Mmobuosi now looks “unlikely”.
The Nigerian businessman agreed a reported £115million deal to take over the Blades before Christmas but the Saudi is doubtful that will go through.
He is now looking for other buyers and would like something sorted before the start of next season.
“I can’t say it’s off but I think maybe now it’s unlikely. But everything is open,” the Prince told talkSPORT. “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.
“(To sell) is my intention, but nothing is guaranteed. I’m not going to sell to just anybody. I care about who owns the club next.
“The most important decision in any club is not hiring the right manager or the right players, it starts from the top. If the owner is a bad owner it can drive everything eventually to the ground.
“My intention is to sell but it’s not guaranteed yet.
“There are other parties interested I would rather do something in the next four weeks or do nothing, but these things never go as you expect, there are always complications. The most important thing is we are now in the Premier League.”
United have been suffering with financial problems throughout the season and were up until last week under an EFL transfer embargo due to unpaid transfer fees. Reports have suggested Mmobuosi has already put a large amount of money into the club, but the Prince says he will not be owed anything if the deal collapses.
“No, this is not accurate but I don’t want to talk about that,” he said. “Dozy is a good man and hopefully he will be successful in whatever he does in the future. But we don’t owe anyone any money.”
