Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Denies Manchester United Takeover Bid

Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman has denied reports that he intends to buy Manchester United.

The crown prince was said to be launching a £3.8billion offer to take control of the Premier League club, according to weekend reports.

But the kingdom’s media minister, Turki al-Shabanah, wrote on Twitter: ‘Reports claiming that HRH the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman intends on buying @ManUtd are completely false.

‘Manchester United held a meeting with @PIFSaudi to discuss sponsorship opportunity. No deal has been materialized.’

United’s American owners, the Glazer family, bought the club for £790million almost 14 years ago.

It was reported in October that United’s owners have no intention of selling any stake in the club.

United already have business interests with Saudi Arabia, with Saudi Telecom the club’s official integrated telecommunications partner.

The club also signed a memorandum of understanding with the General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia last year to help develop football industry in the country.

The crown prince has shown a big appetite for bringing sporting events to his country over the past couple of years, including motor sport and boxing, while Brazil and Argentina played a football international in Riyadh last October.

Reports in America late last year claimed that the CIA had evidence the crown prince ordered the assassination of Saudi Arabian dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi Arabian embassy in Istanbul in October. The Saudi government admitted he was murdered but denied Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the hit.

The Washington Post journalist, who was critical of his country’s government and the crown prince, had fled Saudi Arabia in 2017.