Turki Alsheikh Leaks What He's 'Heard' About Man Utd Being Sold to 'New Investor'

Manchester United are in the 'advanced stages of completing a deal to sell to a new investor', according to Saudi promoter Turki Alsheikh.

Alsheikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority who is responsible for bringing high-profile sports events to the country, has made a name for himself in the boxing world.

The 44-year-old helps coordinate and co-promote fights, using his position and financial resources to bring major bouts to Saudi Arabia as part of Riyadh Season, which runs from October until March 2026.

But he has been actively exploring becoming involved in other sports of late. Alsheikh has shown an interest in purchasing a stake in Matchroom Sport, the events promotion company involved in snooker and darts.

And the Saudi billionaire continues to be linked with purchasing a football team in England, with recent reports suggesting he is preparing a formal bid to buy Championship side Bristol City from the Lansdown family.

Turki Alalshikh has been linked with a takeover of Bristol City. Image credit: Getty

Now, the ambitious Alsheikh has made a huge claim regarding a potential takeover bid for Premier League giants Manchester United.

Taking to social media platform X on Wednesday evening, he wrote: "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."

Whether there is substance to Alsheikh's comments is unclear, but his post has attracted a significant amount of attention, with questions being raised about Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers as a result.

Back in February 2024, Ratcliffe completed a deal that gives him a 27.7% stake in United, which is worth more than £1bn.

Alsheikh's comments, meanwhile, come shortly after it was reported that United are exploring the possibility of playing a potentially lucrative mid-season friendly in Saudi Arabia during Riyadh Season.

Talks with relevant stakeholders are at an early stage, according to The Athletic, as the club explore ways of raising funds after they missed out on European football.

Ruben Amorim gives his take on mid-season friendlies

United failed to qualify for any form of European football for the first time in 11 years after finishing 15th in the Premier League and losing the Europa League final to Spurs.

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As a result, the club lost out on around £100 million, although they are exploring ways of raising extra revenue, which includes mid-season friendlies.

Ruben Amorim recently backed the idea of playing beyond their competitive schedule. "We have to do it," he said. "And you know, we knew that when we missed out on Europe, we have a lot of things to do.

"We have our fans, we have the budget, we have to compensate for a lot of things, so we have to do it," repeated Amorim. "We will do it. We want to be with our fans around the world. If you have to do it, you have to manage to find the space to do it."

As a result of failing to qualify for Europe, United have plenty of time to prepare on the training ground. In fact, Amorim's side will play just one midweek game before Christmas, a home clash against West Ham on December 3.