Saudi Arabia's PIF have clear stance on selling Newcastle to buy Man Utd

Manchester United are reportedly back on the market owing to a hidden clause that could well force Sir Jim Ratcliffe out of the club.

The British billionaire bought a 27.7% stake in the club, which was confirmed last February, with the investment worth a reported £1.03bn. Despite being a minority shareholder, Sir Jim has been given free rein to run the day-to-day running of United.

Ratcliffe has already made his mark at the club, overseeing a change in football structure, sanctioning Ruben Amorim’s appointment as Erik ten Hag’s successor, enforcing staff redundancies and unveiling £2bn plans for a new stadium. Over the summer, Ratcliffe invested £50m into the redevelopment of the club’s Carrington training ground.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe may be forced out at MUFC

Yet despite his control of the club, Ratcliffe may be forced to sell, should the Glazer family wish opt to cash in on their shares should a suitable offer come in. The Mail has reported a “drag along” clause that was included in the deal that saw the 72-year-old buy a chunk of the club last year.

Said clause kicked in 18 months after Ratcliffe’s investment, and the INEOS boss could be forced to sell up should the Glazer family receive an offer for the entirety of the club that they deem acceptable. Referring to the clause upon his arrival last year, Ratcliffe is quoted by The Sun as saying: “I don't think we're going to be taking the legal agreements out of the bottom drawer.

“I just hope they gather dust and we never see them. Which it should be. It should be on the basis of a relationship.”

Ratcliffe beat off competition from Qatari Sheikh Jassim to buy his stake in the club, and it remains to be seen whether he’d return to try and purchase United outright once more.

With reports that United are up for sale again, that could lead to the Saudi Arabia PIF disposing of Newcastle and turning their attention to the Manchester giants.

In 2019, it was reported that United had been targeted by the Saudi Arabia PIF, though nothing came of the matter as the Glazer family only offered up a 20% stake in the club.

Newcastle owners Amanda Staveley and Yasir Al-Rumayyan. Image: Getty

The Saudi Arabia PIF did go on to buy a controlling 80% stake in Newcastle in 2021, but the Magpies have been hamstrung by PSR issues that means they haven’t been able to invest as readily in the Magpies squad.

Even so, the Saudi Minister for Sport, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, told the BBC in 2022 that the current owners of the Magpies were doing an “excellent job”.

“They have done an excellent job. They still have a long way to go (but) they have brought the right people on board," he is quoted as saying by The Mag.

“I’m sure they have targets to win the Premier League and the Champions League and so on, because they strive for the best and always bring the best on board, so I think it’s going to be a bright future for Newcastle.”

Saudi MUFC ownership in the future?

The Saudi Sports Minister was also asked whether Saudi Arabia would back Saudi ownership of Manchester United and Liverpool, adding: “From the [Saudi Arabia] private sector, I can’t speak on their behalf, but there is a lot of interest and appetite and there’s a lot of passion about football.

“It’s the most-watched league in Saudi Arabia and the region and you have a lot of fans of the Premier League.

“We will definitely support it if any [Saudi] private sector comes in, because we know that’s going to reflect positively on sports within the Kingdom. If there’s an investor willing to do so and the numbers add up, why not?”

While the PIF may consider selling Newcastle to fund a potential takeover of United, in December 2022 journalist Ben Jacobs also stated there is “no possibility” they will “ditch” the Magpies for the Red Devils.

PIF have reported losses of nearly £150m since their 2021 takeover, but have injected nearly £300m into the club through equity funding.

In addition, PIF released plans to build a new stadium earlier this year rather than redevelop St. James’ Park, suggesting they are in it for the long run with Newcastle.