Manchester United is reportedly expecting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to make a third attempt to buy the team.
The Crown Prince has made two previous offers, including a £3 billion offer, and is expected to attempt to buy the football club once again. Financial experts estimate that the royal would have to offer at least £4 billion to have a chance.
Manchester United is owned by the Glazer family who has repeatedly stated they have no plans to sell the team. They’ve partially owned the team since 2005, but they are unpopular.
Kevin Glazer has also attempted to cash in 13 per cent of his Manchester United shares on the New York Stock Exchange.
If Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince successfully purchases the team, he would be one of the Premier League wealthiest owners.
Manchester United chiefs are reportedly planning to be in Saudi Arabia, according to The Sun, for the Future Investment Initiative that has been organised by King Salman’s wealth fund. It is due to take place later this month.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is the son of King Salman who has been on the throne since the death of his older brother, King Abdullah on 23 January 2015. MBS became the heir to the throne in 2017 and has brought sweeping reforms across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
However, his progressive reforms have been overshadowed recently due to the controversy surrounding the death of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was a vocal critic of the Crown Prince. He was assassinated after entering a Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, and MBS has widely been blamed for ordering his death by various governments and the UN. He and Saudi Arabia have consistently denied responsibility.
However, in a recent American interview, MBS somewhat took responsibility saying that the murder “took place under my watch.”
