Fans of Manchester United football club will certainly be interested to learn about a cryptic post shared online relating to a potential takeover at Old Trafford. The message comes from a member of the Saudi Arabian Royal Family, Prince Saud Mishal, who is apparently a Red Devils supporter.
After years of frustration under the Glazers, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s move to acquire an initial 25% stake of the Premier League club in December 2023, said to be worth more than £1 billion, offered hope to fans of an exciting new era. Thus far, though, it’s fair to say more frustration has followed under the influence of INEOS.
Unpopular cost-cutting measures, which have included long-standing staff members losing jobs, have not gone down well. Some may even be wishing that Qatar chief Sheikh Jassim had completed his planned takeover, which rivalled Ratcliffe’s bid but ultimately failed.
A new update, however, could yet mean that the topic of ownership at Old Trafford could soon be up for debate again.
According to Saudi promoter Turki Alsheikh, Manchester United are now in an ‘advanced stage of completing a deal to sell to a new investor’. The chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, who is responsible for bringing high-profile sports events to the country, shared his information online:
“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.”
As if perhaps endorsing the message, and certainly giving it more credibility, Prince Saud Mishal quoted the post while adding the prayer hands emoji. The Saudi royal family member kept things cryptic, adding nothing more, but it’s certainly an eye-catching development.
The prince is an entrepreneur, businessman, and CEO of Al-Manahil Holding and has a focus on investments in retail, entertainment and lifestyle as part of the country’s Vision 2030 reform. That said, he has also been involved in sport, and currently holds the role of chairman of the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation, having been tasked with growing the sport in the country.
All this comes amid recent claims from Chris Blackhurst, former editor of The Independent, that Ratcliffe could ‘walk away’ from his position at Man United. He explained that his struggles at Old Trafford, which have resulted in ‘personal abuse’ coupled with INEOS’ failures in their other sporting investments such as cycling, rugby, the America’s Cup, and Formula 1, could lead to an exit for the British billionaire.
If Ratcliffe really is considering a way out, that would most certainly open the door for a wealthy investor to come in and take over in Manchester.