Saudi sports chief Turki Al-Sheikh has hinted that Manchester United could soon be sold to a new investor, sparking fresh takeover speculation as the club eyes a £10m Riyadh Season tour to ease financial strain after missing out on Europe.

The storm clouds over Old Trafford may be stirring once again. Saudi Arabia's sports supremo Turki Al-Sheikh - a man with deep pockets, powerful connections, and an unrelenting ambition to make Riyadh the world's next sporting capital - has dropped a bombshell on social media, hinting at a potential new takeover bid for Manchester United.

Al-Sheikh, the influential head of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority (GEA), took to X (formerly Twitter) late on Wednesday night with a post that instantly set football circles abuzz.

“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,” Al-Sheikh wrote.

Within hours, the cryptic comment had been viewed nearly one million times, fuelling wild speculation about what he knows - and whether this signals Saudi interest in taking the Red Devils off the Glazers' hands.

اسعد خبر سمعته اليوم ان مانشستر يونايتد الان في مرحله متقدمه من اتمام صفقة بيعه لمستثمر جديد ... يارب يكون احسن من الملاك السابقين‍♂️

- TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) October 8, 2025

United's ownership saga has long been a soap opera of global proportions. The Glazer family, who have held majority control since 2005, rejected a full buyout offer from Sheikh Jassim Al-Thani's Qatari consortium last year, instead selling 27.7 per cent of the club to British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe for £1.25 billion.

While Ratcliffe's minority stake gave him significant control over football operations, it left fans divided - some saw him as a saviour, others as a continuation of Glazer rule by proxy.

Now, with Al-Sheikh's comments, questions swirl once again: is there an actual buyer at the table, or was this a carefully timed tease from one of Saudi Arabia's most influential powerbrokers?

As of Thursday morning, Manchester United and the Glazer family had made no official comment on Al-Sheikh's claim.

Even as takeover rumours ripple through the football world, United's management is working on something more immediate - plugging the financial black hole left by missing out on Champions League football.

Their Europa League final defeat to Tottenham in Bilbao cost them dearly, wiping out nearly £100 million in potential earnings and triggering a £10 million penalty repayment to Adidas under the club's £900 million kit deal.

Desperate to balance the books, United have turned to mid-season friendlies and exhibition tours. According to a DailyMail report quoting sources, a Saudi Arabia trip during Riyadh Season - the Kingdom's glitzy, multi-billion-dollar entertainment extravaganza - could bring in £10 million or more.

Riyadh Season, which kicks off on Friday and runs until March, is already a magnet for A-list global acts and elite sporting events. The GEA has reportedly left a slot open for a“high-profile football event”, and United are firmly in contention.

Among the possibilities under discussion:

• Riyadh Season Cup: A two-game mini-tournament featuring Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal, where United could earn around £5 million per game - plus prize money and sponsorship deals.
• Saudi All-Star Exhibition Match: A one-off glamour tie, similar to PSG's 2023 encounter in Riyadh, worth £5 million.
• Warm-Weather Training Camp: A shorter visit tied to a private match against Al-Nassr, also valued around £5 million, with all travel and accommodation covered by the hosts.

For context, Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United earned just £1 million from a 2008 friendly in Saudi Arabia - featuring Ronaldo - to mark Sami Al-Jaber's testimonial.

Times have clearly changed.

For the first time in 35 years, Manchester United face a season without European football. Their early Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby Town only worsened the situation, leaving them with vast stretches of free midweeks - and a pressing need to stay active and visible.

Between their penalty shootout defeat in Cleethorpes and their next midweek clash against West Ham in December, there's a yawning three-month gap. Filling that space with a Saudi tour isn't just a financial decision - it's a lifeline.

If the trip - and possible takeover chatter - materialise, critics will inevitably cry“sportswashing.” Yet for United's hierarchy, this may be about survival and reinvention.

Saudi Arabia's deepening footprint in global sport is undeniable - from boxing and Formula 1 to golf and football - and the Kingdom's ambition to host marquee clubs like Manchester United aligns perfectly with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 blueprint.

Whether this marks the start of a Saudi-led push for Old Trafford or just another business opportunity, one thing is certain: Manchester United's next chapter may well be written under the Riyadh lights.

MENAFN09102025007385015968ID1110171119