{"id":187059,"date":"2025-10-09T03:10:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T03:10:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/187059\/"},"modified":"2025-10-09T03:10:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T03:10:10","slug":"man-united-up-for-sale-saudi-boxing-supremo-turki-al-sheikh-claims-red-devils-are-in-an-advanced-stage-of-completing-a-deal-to-sell-to-a-new-investor-and-appears-to-aim-a-dig-at-the-glazers-and-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/187059\/","title":{"rendered":"Man United up for sale? Saudi boxing supremo Turki Al-Sheikh claims Red Devils are ‘in an advanced stage of completing a deal to sell to a new investor’ – and appears to aim a dig at the Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe"},"content":{"rendered":"

By CHRIS WHEELER, NORTHERN SPORTS WRITER<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 19:48 EDT, 8 October 2025 | Updated: 20:20 EDT, 8 October 2025 <\/p>\n

Saudi sports supremo Turki Al-Sheikh has raised the intriguing prospect of a fresh takeover bid for Manchester United<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Al-Sheikh, who is understood to be in talks with United over a potential friendly game during Riyadh Season, posted a message on X on Wednesday night suggesting that the club are ready to sell to a new investor.<\/p>\n

United\u2019s majority owners, the Glazer family, rejected a takeover by Sheikh Jassim Al-Thani\u2019s Qatari consortium when they sold 27.7 per cent of the club to Sir Jim Ratcliffe<\/a> for \u00a31.25billion last year.<\/p>\n

But Al-Sheikh, the head of the General Entertainment Authority responsible for bringing some of the world\u2019s highest-profile sports events to Saudi Arabia, posted: \u2018The 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 \u2013 I hope he\u2019s better than the previous owners.\u2019<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear if there is any substance to Al-Sheikh\u2019s claims – or if he is criticising the Glazers or Ratcliffe in his post – but his comment attracted close to one million views by the early hours of Thursday morning.<\/p>\n

It followed news that United could bank upwards of \u00a310million if they strike a deal to visit Saudi this season, according to industry sources.<\/p>\n

\"\" \"Al-Sheikh, <\/p>\n

Al-Sheikh, who is understood to be in talks with United over a potential friendly game, posted a message on X on Wednesday night suggesting that the club are ready to sell to a new investor<\/p>\n

The club are looking at ways to fill gaps in the calendar \u2013 and a black hole in their finances \u2013 by arranging mid-season friendlies, with Saudi one of the options under discussion.<\/p>\n

Defeat to Tottenham in last season\u2019s Europa League final in Bilbao cost United \u00a3100m for failing to reach the Champions League, including a \u00a310m due repayment to adidas under the terms of a \u00a3900m shirt sponsorship.<\/p>\n

United earned \u00a38m from a post-season trip to Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong in May, and could rake in even more from a visit to Saudi during Riyadh Season which gets underway on Friday and runs until March.<\/p>\n

The General Entertainment Authority released an initial schedule on Monday and there is a gap for a high-profile football event.<\/p>\n

One of the three options open to United would be to take part in the Riyadh Season Cup, a three-way tournament against the capital\u2019s two biggest clubs, Cristiano Ronaldo\u2019s Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal, which featured Inter Miami in February.<\/p>\n

With United expected to earn around \u00a35m-per-game, the two-game tournament guarantees \u00a310m plus more in prize money if they win, and additional revenue from commercial opportunities during an extended stay in Saudi.<\/p>\n

Another option is a shorter visit to play an exhibition game against a Saudi All-Star team, similar to the one involving Paris Saint-Germain in January 2023, which would be worth closer to \u00a35m.<\/p>\n

\"It\u00bfs <\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear if there is any substance to Al-Sheikh\u2019s claims, but his comment attracted close to one million views by the early hours of Thursday morning<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The club are looking at ways to fill gaps in the calendar \u2013 and a black hole in their finances \u2013 by arranging mid-season friendlies, with Saudi one of the options under discussion<\/p>\n

United could also arrange a visit with the Saudi royal family or GEA to hold a warm-weather training camp in Riyadh and play of one-off game \u2013 most likely against Ronaldo and Al-Nassr \u2013 which would again earn the club around \u00a35m.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s substantially more than the \u00a31m United banked in January 2008 when Sir Alex Ferguson took a side featuring Ronaldo to Saudi to play Al-Hilal in a testimonial for Sami Al-Jaber, losing 3-2.<\/p>\n

Any of the options open to United are likely to involve the oil-rich state picking up the tab for travel, accommodation and warm-weather training facilities.<\/p>\n

Being without any European football for only the second time in 35 years has left United with plenty of space in the calendar \u2013 a problem not helped by going out of the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle to Grimsby Town. There is more than three months between the defeat on penalties in Cleethorpes and the next midweek game against West Ham in early December.<\/p>\n


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