Man Utd stance on Saudi takeover as private view emerges after update | Football | Sport
Manchester United have expressed surprise at claims that a deal to attract new investment into the club is nearing completion. Late on Wednesday evening, Saudi chief Turki Al-Sheikh suggested on social media that United are on the brink of securing new investment – a revelation that left both fans and staff members surprised.
Al-Sheikh claimed on his X account: “The best news I heard today is that Manchester United is now in an advanced stage of completing a deal to sell to a new investor. I hope he’s better than the previous owners.”
This post from Al-Sheikh came just hours after an interview with United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was published, where he gave no indication of plans to relinquish control at Old Trafford. The Mirror also report that the Glazers would only consider offers of more than £5billion for their stake in United, which is more than double what the English giants are worth on the stock market.
In 2023, Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe engaged in talks with The Raine Group, who oversaw the sale of a significant part of the club on behalf of the Glazers, with both parties maintaining optimism throughout the process.
However, it was Ratcliffe who triumphed, acquiring a minority stake. Sheikh Jassim made a bid of around £5.5bn for full ownership of the club, but the Qatari was unable to provide proof of funds during negotiations.
Sheikh Jassim’s offer included a commitment to wipe out all of United’s debt and featured a separate fund designated solely for the club and the local community, although his reliability remained doubtful throughout the process. There has been no indication that Sheikh Jassim will return with a fresh offer for United.
And the latest suggestion of a takeover being in tbe offing has left United surprised, as per the Manchester Evening News.
Al-Sheikh has become the key figure behind ‘Riyadh Season’, a six-month schedule of entertainment, cultural and sporting events held in the Saudi Arabian capital. The 44-year-old holds a significant position in boxing and has earned praise for the sport’s resurgence in recent years, having invested millions into arranging spectacular fights between rival promotions.
United could hold a mid-season friendly abroad to increase revenue and Alalshikh is believed to be currently in discussions about staging a match in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking about a potential mid-season friendly to raise funds, Ruben Amorim said: “We have to do it. We knew that when we missed Europe, and there’s a lot of things [to consider].
“We have our fans, the budget. We have to compensate for a lot of things. We have to do it, so we will do it. We want to be with our fans around the world, so we will put it all together to do that. if we have to do it, we have to manage and to find the space to do it [in the schedule].”
