Football League World
·24 December 2024
Football League World
·24 December 2024
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder will hold talks with the club's new owners this week ahead of the January transfer window.
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has revealed he will hold talks with new owners Steve Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy on Friday about plans for the January transfer window.
After months of negotiations and a number of delays, US-based consortium COH Sports finally completed their takeover of Sheffield United on Monday, bringing Prince Abdullah's five-year spell as sole owner to an end.
The takeover is undoubtedly positive news for the Blades, who currently sit top of the Championship table, three points clear of second-placed Leeds United, and they would be even further ahead had they not received a two-point deduction.
Rosen and Eltoukhy said that they are "delighted and honoured" to be confirmed as the club's new owners, and they spoke of their desire to ensure that United are "playing in the top flight of English football on a consistent basis".
The pair, who will be in attendance at Bramall Lane for the crucial clash against third-placed Burnley on Boxing Day, also insisted that they are "committed to supporting the management team" to continue the progress that has been made this season.
Speaking for the first time since the takeover was finalised, Wilder said that Rosen and Eltoukhy are willing to provide him with support in January, and he revealed that he is having a meeting with United's new owners later this week to discuss plans for the upcoming window.
"I have had dialogue with the new owners through Stephen (Bettis, United's CEO) and they came out and said they would like to back us in January. I have talked to Stephen through that process and I met the co-chairmen at the Sheffield Wednesday game," Wilder told The Yorkshire Post.
"Obviously, there was not a lot of time to go into it in depth and I have got a meeting with both of them on the 27th and they are coming to the game on the 26th.
"I will be meeting up with them on the 27th to show them around the training ground to meet our staff and talk about January because obviously, from my point of view, that is our biggest target to nail and to get right.
"In terms of what we need, I’ve talked about quality over quantity and experience over inexperience and maybe two or three players to help the team. We are a little bit stretched at the moment and if we can do that, then that’s great.
"We will have those discussions and I am looking forward to the next chapter in our long history."
"The clarity all around was something we were all after. I didn’t involve myself too much in the process, but I was kept in the loop by Stephen Bettis, so I am grateful for his input."
The arrival of new owners can often result in a change of manager, but it seems that Wilder has Rosen and Eltoukhy's full support.
Wilder has done an outstanding job to lead United to the top of the Championship table, but with concerns about the depth of their squad, strengthening in January will be crucial to their hopes of maintaining their promotion push in the second half of the season.
The Blades will need to be careful not to disrupt their squad too much after their excellent start, but the addition of two or three quality signings could help Wilder's men get over the line in their pursuit of an immediate Premier League return.