How Sheffield United hope AI can help them follow Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford leads

Having seen technology’s role in the rise of Brighton and Hove Albion, Brentford and others, Sheffield United's signing of Ehije Ukaki on a three-year contract is their latest attempt to find a data-driven route to the top of English football.

The way Brighton and Brentford – fourth-tier teams either side of the millennium – punch above their weight has become an inspiration.

Neither can compete financially with Manchester United, yet last season they outperformed them on around a quarter (Brentford) and a third (Brighton) of their wages. Both revolutions have taken time, and originated from Tony Bloom, aka The Lizard.

The Brighton fan and maths graduate bought then then-League One club in 2009 and introduced the company – Starlizard – he set up to analyse sporting data to give him an edge in betting.

Its software turned up Moises Caicedo, bought for £4m, sold for £115m.

It is a secretive world, but Jamestown Analytics is now thought to have replaced Starlizard.

In 2018, Bloom took a majority shareholding in Union Saint-Gilloise, only reduced when they and Brighton both qualified for Europe.

Last month Heart of Midlothian's majority owners approved his offer to buy a 29 per cent stake for £9.86m. He also has a stake in Melbourne Victory.

Bloom's protege, professional gambler Matthew Benham, bought the club he supports – Brentford – in 2012. In 2014 the physics graduate became Midtjylland’s majority shareholder.

Like Bloom and Benham, Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy are also scientists, and since buying the Blades at Christmas, have tried to bring their own more scientific ways.

Scouting is just one area where they are looking to use artificial intelligence, which identified February signings Christian Nwachukwu and Jefferson Caceres. Now they have gone back to Botev Plovdiv to reunite Nwachukwu with Nigerian compatriot Ukaki, a 20-year-old winger or full-back.

"Ehije has been identified through our data-driven strategy and is someone we're looking forward to developing," said manager Chris Wilder, who is yet to give Nwachukwu and Caceres first-team debuts.

Until they or those who will surely follow make it, we must reserve judgement on the Blades’ attempt to bridge football's financial gap with technology, but the methods look here to stay.