AlSheikh claims Manchester United in advanced sale talks, unverified

Turki AlSheikh, a senior Saudi sports official, has posted on X that Manchester United are in an "advanced stage of completing a deal to sell to a new investor," a claim that has not been corroborated by the club or the team's majority owners. AlSheikh, who leads Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority and is understood to be in discussions with United about staging matches during Riyadh Season, wrote on Wednesday night, "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 post prompted widespread attention but the club has not announced any sale or confirmed talks about a change of ownership. United's controlling shareholders remain the Glazer family, who last year sold roughly 27.7 percent of the club to Sir Jim Ratcliffe for about 1.25 billion. Ratcliffe subsequently assumed responsibility for football operations. There is no independent evidence, beyond AlSheikh's message, that either the Glazers or Ratcliffe are preparing to sell their holdings.

AlSheikh's comments come amid separate discussions between United and Saudi organisers about...