Man United takeover latest as bidder breaks silence and UAE backers approach investors

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Manchester United takeover talk went into overdrive following a social media post from Saudi sports chief Turki Alalshikh

Manchester United takeover talks have hit the headlines again after Turki Alalshikh claimed the club was in advanced talks over a sale to a new investor. Sir Jim Ratcliffe spoke to the media this week, with the international break surrounding the future of Ruben Amorim.

United return to Premier League action against Liverpool next week, and they go into the trip to Anfield on the back of a 2-0 win over Sunderland. The result eased pressure on the Portuguese head coach following weeks of speculation over his position at Old Trafford.

The Saudi sports chief sparked surprise when he made the claim regarding a potential sale to new investors this week with reports suggesting that United sources were caught by surprise, and that there is no truth to it.

He wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "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."

The MEN has rounded up the latest reports surrounding a Man United takeover.

Man United legends 'approached' in UAE-takeover bid

According to talkSPORT, the Glazer family value United in excess of £5billion following rumours of a Middle Eastern takeover. They have claimed that the group Alalshikh has referenced is United Arab Emirates-based and the outlet have been informed that several United legends have been approached about potential investment.

The Glazers sold a minority stake to Ratcliffe's INEOS group in 2024 and it has been suggested that there is a clause in the deal meaning he would be forced to sell his shares or match any offer that the American family accept from interested parties.

Alalshikh has already played a key role in transforming the world of boxing by helping sanction blockbuster fights in the ring. There is a suggestion that he himself has been looking to invest in an English football club.

But, he has stressed he isn't in the race to buy United.

Entrepreneur plots United takeover

Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus claims he is planning to approach investors in another attempt to purchase Manchester United.

He emerged as a potential bidder during the second round of bidding in 2023 with Ratcliffe and Qatari Sheikh Jassim in the hunt to earn a stake at the Premier League giants.

Ultimately, the Ineos chief earned the minority stake. However, in an exclusive interview, Zilliacus has expressed his intention to return to the table.

"Last week, I was sitting and thinking through all the possibilities of investing in Manchester United and drafting a basic plan on how I could approach certain parties to see if something could be done.

"This is about joining forces with the right parties with the sole aim of bringing Manchester United back to where it should be as the number one club in the world.

"I mean, my love for the club has gone nowhere and I think the opportunity is still there. So I would really welcome an opportunity to talk to the key players and see what can be done.

"The key players, of course, today, Ratcliffe, then if other parties would be keen to join as well, then that would be great. Some of the investors, I think it's almost everything or nothing, meaning either they own the club alone or they are not interested. So you would have to find the investors who are willing to look at what is best for the club and not what is best for the investor."

'It doesn't mean that the Glazers aren't going to consider selling'

The Times' Charlotte Duncker believes that Man United would be available for the right price but there is no guarantee that Ratcliffe would complete a full takeover.

"All sources close to Manchester United are saying it's news to them, sources close to the Ineos regime and Jim Ratcliffe are saying that they don't believe it to be true either," she said, speaking on Sky Sports.

"Obviously, Jim Ratcliffe has that 30 per cent stake, that doesn't mean that the Glazers aren't going to consider selling.

"I think for the right price they definitely would and there's a clause within Ratcliffe's agreement when he bought the club, I think it was triggered in August this year, that meant if the right offer came in, I think it was over something like $33-a-share the Glazer's could sell the whole club, not just their proportion of it, Ratcliffe would be bought out of it as well.

"There is potential that the Glazers could see the entire club, but at the minute this seems a strange one with this news and hype by this one tweet."

United share price increases amid takeover bid reports

Speculation over a possible bid for Manchester United had added £115million in the club's market capitalisation value, according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

He tweeted that the share price of the club has risen over 4 percent in the US stock market despite it being down overall.

It comes following the increased reporting of a potential bid for United, in light of Alalshikh's post on social media.

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