"Shilen Patel only paid £60m for West Brom" - Pundit reacts to Sheffield United takeover news | OneFootball

Carlton Palmer has heaped praise on Chris Wilder for the work he has done at Sheffield United despite off-field uncertainty.

Carlton Palmer insists that Chris Wilder won’t let Sheffield United’s takeover uncertainty distract the players, although he feels the club should be doing all they can to support the boss in the January window.

The Blades oversaw a huge turnover of players in the summer following their relegation from the Premier League, but this new-look side is excelling under Wilder.

After nine games, the Yorkshire side are unbeaten, and they sit second in the table, whilst they would be outright leaders if they hadn’t been hit with a two-point deduction.

Sheffield United takeover latest

All of this has been playing out amid plenty of talk surrounding the future of the club, with a US consortium known to be keen on buying Sheffield United.

However, the latest reports have suggested that current owner Prince Abdullah wants in excess of £100m for the club, which is proving problematic in negotiations.

And, speaking to FLW, ex-England international Palmer explained why it’s crucial for Sheffield United to get this sorted quickly with the January window on the horizon.

“The club has been up for sale since May 2023, and we’ve seen this at Reading FC, with the owner close to agreeing a deal, not agreeing a deal and whatever.

“I suppose Prince Abdullah is looking at the club and saying we’re near the top of the Championship, and Wilder has done a remarkable job to get them there, as they’ve had two points deducted, otherwise they’d be clear at the top.

“But, as I’ve said previously, Wilder needs to bring in reinforcements. He has done very, very well with the players he has brought in, but he needs the takeover to happen to maintain this promotion push. If he gets one or two injuries to his first XI, he’s in trouble.

“The argument is that people say Shilen Patel only paid £60m for West Brom, and look at them, they’re in the promotion race, so why would you pay over £100m?

“So, it’s putting people off. Wilder would want this deal done ASAP, he obviously wants the best people to buy the football club, but in January he wants to get reinforcements. He has been able to attract good players to the football club, he has brought the likes of Kieffer Moore in, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi on loan, so he needs further investment to push this over the line.

“You’ve got to give Wilder credit, as it’s always difficult coming down from the Premier League, as you get rid of players, the uncertainty surrounding the football club, so he needs help.”

Palmer also emphatically dismissed the idea that this takeover talk could become a distraction, as he backed Wilder to ensure his players don’t lose focus.

“He won’t get bothered by the noise. He has been in this situation before, he has had no money before, and he has performed miracles, so he won’t be bothered. He won’t let his players get involved in that, and they will be focused on the job in hand. Hopefully, he will have some news, but we’re already in the middle of October, and if a deal isn’t in place by the end of next month, I doubt it will be ratified by the January window, so Wilder will have to make do with loans.

“Hopefully, Prince Abdullah will see sense. If he wants to sell the football club, then why not give Wilder the money. He knows the position they’re in, they can get promoted, and sell them once they’re back in the Premier League, as they’re a much more sellable asset at that point.”

Sheffield United can win promotion this season

Many would echo Palmer’s comments here, and the reality is that Wilder has done a superb job this summer in reshaping the squad.

He has brought in a lot of quality, and even though we’re only nine games in, the Blades look like a standout team at this level.

The major concern is the strength in depth, and in an ideal world, Wilder would want to bring in two or three new faces in January to add that bit more to the group, and to give them the momentum required to last the distance.

So, the off-field issues will come sharply into focus when the window opens, and all connected to Sheffield United will hope the club are in a good position by then.