MUMBAI: Premier League giants Manchester United have dismissed reports linking the club with a potential takeover from Saudi Arabia.
Shares in the club surged by over 5% Monday following a report published by UK’s The Sun tabloid that crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and de facto ruler of the autocratic state was considering a bid of around £3 billion for the club.
However, UK’s Mirror quotes an insider connected to the club as questioning the timing of the reports, coming as they do with a diplomatic crisis engulfing the Saudis, following the murder of American-based journalist and critic of the regime Jamal Khashoggi.
That has prompted yet more uncomfortable questions about a Saudi regime also under fire for the killing of many innocent civilians following air strikes in Yemen after a military intervention devised by Prince Mohammad, who is also defence minister.
The popularity of Abu Dhabi investment in Manchester City has been seen as a way of improving the emirate’s image, which has been tarnished by questions of human rights abuses.
Prince Mohammad is said to be keen to follow a similar path to Abu Dhabi’s investment in Manchester City, which improved the international profile of the emirate, but Mirror quotes a source with connections to Old Trafford as suggesting the controversy surrounding the disappearance of Khashoggi following a visit to the Saudi embassy in Turkey would make any sale impossible.
For the record, the Glazer Family have owned the club since 2005. The Americans paid around £790 million for a 90% stake in United, but the club is now valued at close to £3 billion.
