Man Utd takeover latest after Turki Alalshikh message, Glazer sale verdict, UAE backers

View 2 Images

Manchester United takeover discussions have dominated the headlines once more following Turki Alalshikh's assertion that the club was engaged in advanced negotiations over a sale to fresh investors. Sir Jim Ratcliffe addressed the media this week, with the international break centring around Ruben Amorim's future.

United resume Premier League duties against Liverpool next week, heading to Anfield following a 2-0 victory over Sunderland . The outcome relieved pressure on the Portuguese manager after weeks of conjecture regarding his Old Trafford tenure.

The Saudi sports supremo caused astonishment when he made the assertion about a prospective sale to new backers this week, with reports indicating that United sources were taken aback and that the claims lack substance.

He posted on X, previously 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 Mirror has compiled the latest reports concerning a Man United takeover.

According to talkSPORT, the Glazer family price United above £5billion amid rumours of a Middle Eastern takeover. They have reported that the consortium Alalshikh has mentioned is United Arab Emirates-based and the outlet have been told that several United icons have been contacted regarding potential investment.

The Glazers sold a minority stake to Ratcliffe's INEOS group in 2024, and it's been suggested that there's a clause in the deal meaning he'd 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 are whispers that he himself has been eyeing up an investment in an English football club.

However, he's made it clear he's not in the running to buy United.

Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus claims he's planning to approach investors in another bid to purchase Manchester United.

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

Ultimately, the Ineos chief secured 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.

View 2 Images

"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."

The Times' Charlotte Duncker reckons that Man United would be up for grabs at the right price but there's no certainty that Ratcliffe would seal a complete buyout.

"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."

Rumours surrounding a potential bid for Manchester United have boosted the club's market capitalisation value by £115million, according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

He posted on social media that the club's share price has climbed more than 4 percent on the US stock market despite broader market declines.

This follows heightened speculation about a possible bid for United, sparked by Alalshikh's social media activity.

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.