Khaberni - Turki Al-Sheikh, the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, stirred controversy again after hinting at the possibility of new discussions about the acquisition of English club Manchester United.
Al-Sheikh posted on his X platform account saying, "The best news I heard today is that Manchester United is in an advanced stage of completing a sale deal to a new investor, and I hope it will be better than the previous owners," which caused widespread interaction, as the post exceeded more than one million views within a few hours.
Meanwhile, the British newspaper Daily Mail reported that Turki Al-Sheikh’s statement comes at a time when reports suggest that there are talks between Al-Sheikh and Manchester United officials about organizing a friendly match as part of the Riyadh Season events, which could bring more than 10 million pounds to the club. This comes as the administration seeks financial solutions to offset its losses after the team failed to qualify for the last season's Champions League, with losses exceeding 100 million pounds.
It is worth mentioning that last year, the Glazer family, which owns the club, had rejected a substantial offer from Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani for the full acquisition of Manchester United, preferring instead to sell only 27.7 percent of the shares to British businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe for 1.25 billion pounds.
At the same time, Manchester United is considering organizing friendly matches mid-season to increase revenue, including their potential participation in the Riyadh Season Cup, which could see them playing against clubs AlHilal and Al-Nassr led by Cristiano Ronaldo, in an event expected to be among the highlights of the sporting season in Saudi Arabia.
